Month: July 2022

Last month, Diddy made his return as an artist with a groovy heartbreak anthem, “Gotta Move On” featuring Bryson Tiller. The single is presumably from an upcoming Diddy album, which will be released on his recently-launched R&B-focused Love Records imprint, which will mark his first solo album since Press Play in 2006 — although he did follow up with a mixtape in 2015 titled Money Making Mitch. Today, Diddy and Tiller released the video for “Gotta Move On,” which features a cameo from comedian Tiffany Haddish and a very Diddy scene of the music mogul losing his cool in a nightclub restroom.

The Teyana Taylor (aka Spike Tey)-directed video opens as so many clips from the genre’s early 2000s heyday did: with a pointless celebrity cameo outside a nightclub the artists are planning to enter. Haddish plays either a bouncer or a promoter who greets Diddy and Bryson’s party as they enter, then is never seen again once they do. Once inside, one woman, in particular, draws Diddy’s attention and from their interactions, she’s meant to be an old flame. His attempts to rekindle their attachment spark an argument instead, sending Diddy to the bathroom to cool off. There, he does the opposite, demolishing the room the way he did his office in 2017 before composing himself and returning to the dance.

You can watch the video for “Gotta Move On” up top.

The wait for Lil Uzi Vert’s upcoming Red & White EP continues. Last week, Uzi announced the project and billed it as the prelude to their long-awaited The Pink Tape project. While Uzi did not share a release date for Red & White, many believed that the project would arrive much sooner than later, especially since the rapper debuted its cover art. The world is still waiting for the official release of Red & White, but until then, you can enjoy another loose and SoundCloud exclusive single from Uzi.

The new record is a bit more relaxed than Uzi’s previous singles, “Space Cadet” and “I Know,” but it still presents the rapper in a very confident state. Over production from longtime collaborator Maaly Raw, Uzi brags about their riches and the other fruits of their labor.

The new record arrives after Uzi declared that they now use them/them pronouns. The news was shared very subtly as Uzi simply changed the pronouns that were listed on his Instagram page. Later, a spokesperson for the rapper confirmed that the rapper will indeed go by they/them pronouns.

You can listen to “Flex Up” above.

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A three-part docuseries detailing the catastrophic events of Woodstock ’99 is set to arrive on Netflix next month. Clusterf*ck: Woodstock ’99 will feature several accounts from the 30th anniversary of the legendary music festival, which took place over the course of three days in Bethel, NY in 1969.

The docuseries will consist of home videos of performances, as well as footage of the chaos unfolding. Viewers can also look forward to seeing and eyewitness interviews from festival staffers, performers, and attendees. Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Jewel, Fatboy Slim, Bush’s Gavin Rossdale, and the late Woodstock organizer Michael Lang, will all give interviews throughout the docuseries.

“Woodstock is supposed to be synonymous with peace, love, and great music. But in 1999, a much-hyped 30th-anniversary revival of the festival ended in chaos with fires, riots, and allegations of sexual assault,” said executive producer Tom Pearson in a statement. “What caused the festival to explode into violence? Was it a product of late ’90s societal dysfunction, fueled by entitled frat boys? Incitement by the aggressive music of headlining rap metal bands – Korn, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine? Or the inevitable result of ruthless commercial exploitation by the festival organizers?”

Check out the trailer above.

Clusterf*ck: Woodstock ’99 hits Netflix on 8/3.

If Larry David has the chance to call Alan Dershowitz “disgusting,” he’ll take advantage of it. Last summer, the New York Post reported that the Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator and the lawyer who worked as part of the defense teams for Harvey Weinstein, Donald Trump, and Jeffrey Epstein got into a verbal dust-up in the multi-millionaires haven of Martha’s Vineyard. Here’s how the conversation went down:

Dershowitz: “We can still talk, Larry.”

David: “No. No. We really can’t. I saw you. I saw you with your arm around [Trump Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo! It’s disgusting!”

Dershowitz: “He’s my former student [at Harvard Law]. I greet all of my former students that way. I can’t greet my former students?”

David: “It’s disgusting. Your whole enclave — it’s disgusting. You’re disgusting!”

Dershowitz was asked about the encounter in a recent profile with the New Yorker. He did not deny that he was called “disgusting.”

“He did, yeah,” Dersh said when asked if it’s true that he got chewed out by David. “What happened is — it’s interesting because I was having lunch with a very radical lawyer who loves me. I mean, he disagrees with me. We argue all the time… So I was having lunch with him and then a number of other people were there. Suddenly, Larry David walks in to buy some groceries. I say, ‘Hey. Hi, Larry,’ and he turns away, and he just walks away. I say, ‘Larry, can’t we at least talk?’ He said, ‘No. You’re disgusting.’”

The “Larry David exit” should replace the “Irish exit.” It’s more effective.

(Via the New Yorker)

The marketing for Nope seems like a gamble. It’s been layered in mystery, designed to spark more questions than actually telling people what this movie was about. (Which is interesting because director Jordan Peele has been very upfront all along, “It’s an alien movie.” He isn’t lying: it’s an alien movie.) So now I’m curious how audiences will react to a movie that, to this point, has promoted itself as one of the great mysteries of our time, when in reality the movie itself isn’t hiding much. Now, that’s not saying it doesn’t have anything to say, but this isn’t Super 8, when we finally see the alien near the end of the movie. In Nope we see the alien fairly early. So, in that regard, Nope isn’t quite what you think it’s going to be, but maybe only because it’s perhaps more crowd-pleasing and has more scenes in common with a traditional summer alien movie than you’re probably expecting. I mean, look, it is being released in July. There’s a reason for that.

At the home of OJ and Emerald Haywood – siblings, played by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, who own a horse ranch and supply horses to Hollywood productions – there’s a poster for the 1972 film Buck and the Preacher that is featured prominently in a number of shots, to the point you can’t really miss it. After Nope, I wound up watching Buck and the Preacher (I highly recommend this), Sidney Poitier’s directorial debut, which is considered to be the first studio Western with a primarily Black cast. And now here’s Jordan Peele, 50 years later, releasing a movie that certainly has Western themes, but is the first big-budget summer alien movie with a primarily Black cast.

One day, random objects start raining from the sky over the Haywoods’s ranch, things like coins and keys. Around the same time, a former child star, Ricky Park (Steven Yeun, who has one of the best and funniest monologues I’ve seen in a movie in some time), comes a calling with intentions to rent numerous horses from the Haywood ranch for somewhat mysterious reasons. (Ricky Park, at this point, is best known for being on a sitcom in the mid-’90s where a monkey attacked the cast, which we see in a lot of gory flashbacks. Ricky tells this story through the lens of the fictional SNL sketch based on the incident in which Chris Kattan plays the monkey. Ricky’s over-enthusiasm at Kattan’s portrayal of the monkey left me delighted. “He’s killing it … I mean, it’s fucking Kattan!”)

Eventually, OJ and Emerald decide (a) yes there’s an alien and (b) they need to film the alien, then they would go down in history as the first people who ever filmed alien life. There are a couple of problems. First, whenever the alien shows up, all electrical and mechanical devices stop working. Second, other people nearby are starting to figure out there’s something strange going on and they, too, might want to try and film the alien. They first enlist the help of a local Best Buy-type technician, Angel (Brandon Perea, who is hilarious), who, once he sets up the new security system, just kind of invites himself to stick around and see what happens. Then they hire acclaimed cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott, who is just awesome), who seems more interested in getting the perfect, magic hour shot than just getting proof of alien life. And the movie just focuses on these five characters, to its benefit. (I guess six if you count the alien.)

Nope takes plenty of jabs at Hollywood and, as Peele as said, the nature of spectacle. There will be a lot to be written about the deeper meaning of Nope as the weeks go on (to do so now gets into too many spoilers), but maybe the best thing about Nope is the movie itself doesn’t get bogged down with these themes. It’s not a dour experience. There was a moment in the movie I stopped trying to figure out every reference, decided to just save all that for later, and enjoyed the ride of what’s a really fun alien movie. This is a movie with swagger and just looks absolutely gorgeous. (This is Peele’s first collaboration with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who shot movies like Interstellar and Dunkirk. Also, Nope shares some DNA with Top Gun: Maverick in this regard, being movie that looks fantastic, but the story avoids being convoluted like so many summer movies tend to be.)

This is why, when I interviewed Peele, I was hesitant to bring up how much this movie reminds me of Tremors. (Only instead of being under the ground, it flies.) I could see a world where Peele would be like, “Hey, I have something to say here and you’re comparing it to Tremors?” Obviously, that did not happen and, as it turns out, Peele is a huge fan of Tremors. And, now knowing that, it’s an obvious influence on Nope. The thing about Tremors is, that’s a movie with swagger. And Nope has a similar swagger that Peele was smart to use. But that’s what’s fascinating about Jordan Peele and his movies: yes, obviously, they have a lot to say, but Peele also loves genre movies. During an interview he’ll start talking about how much he loves The Lost Boys and Corey Feldman. He’s a director who takes it as a huge compliment to have his new big-budget alien movie be compared to Tremors. With Nope he’s proven he knows how to make an unbelievably entertaining summer alien movie that can draw the masses … while at the same time warn people about the nature and danger of spectacle.

‘Nope’ opens in theaters this weekend.You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Trey Murphy III didn’t concede even a hint of hesitation at a vital moment in the biggest game of his brief NBA career. The ball swung the then-rookie’s way as the New Orleans Pelicans held possession and touted a 98-94 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in finale.

A bucket here, with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth, would be a gigantic step towards the Pelicans securing a playoff berth. C.J. McCollum tossed the ball toward Murphy, who was stationed a couple steps beyond the arc, and the 21-year-old readied to fire. After a is-this-shot-gonna-land? bounce on the front rim, the ball rolled in. New Orleans’ lead ballooned to seven.

Minutes later, the Pelicans, dispatched Los Angeles, 105-101, and secured a first-round date with the Phoenix Suns. Murphy played the final 16 minutes of the contest and dropped 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including three triples over the last nine minutes.

He conveyed his bravado and credence as a shooter all season long. The fourth-quarter spurt to aid New Orleans’ turnaround from Western Conference cellar to playoff appearance was a culmination of that approach. In 62 regular-season games, he connected on 38.2 percent of his 186 threes. In eight postseason bouts (play-in included), he drilled 44.8 percent of his 29 long balls.

The dude was billed as a prolific shooting prospect pre-draft out of Virginia and Rice, and he delivered in year one with the Pelicans. Contemporaries Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado headlined New Orleans’ haul from the 2022 Draft. But Murphy is another member who popped in his first season and adds another name to the constantly expanding young core down in the Bayou.

The foundation and majority of Murphy’s offensive allure is that outside shooting prowess. The numbers help discern this concept, and the tape reinforces it. At 6’9, his long-range exploits are a particular premium for a New Orleans club light on shooting in its frontcourt.

Dudes like Zion Williamson, Jonas Valančiūnas, and Larry Nance Jr. are all excellent players in their roles, yet they’re not offering much from deep. Murphy provides a distinct dynamic for the roster’s frontcourt rotation, while also complementing the offensive pillars in Williamson and Brandon Ingram, both of whom prefer to operate inside the arc as initiators and ball-handlers. As the Pelicans established increased stability over the course of the year, Murphy found his footing. That wasn’t a coincidence. His value swells as structure builds, the sign for almost any ancillary option.

He’s a savvy nomad around the perimeter, holsters a quick, fluid release, is unbothered by intrusive contests, and wields range that even Stephen Curry might commend. He doesn’t require much time or space to burn defenses with his jumper. Banking on him emerging as one of the league’s premier off-ball wing marksman feels like a safe bet.

I feel exceptionally confident about Murphy’s current and future standing as a three-point gunner. He’s versatile in deliveries, knows how to help create looks for himself away from the action, and has an extended track record of absolutely ripping the leather off the ball (40.1 percent from deep on 476 collegiate attempts). All of that fits in seamlessly around those who shape the Pelicans’ offensive tenets.

The counter, unfortunately, is everything inside the arc for him at this juncture is fairly concerning. Despite his height, he shot just 41.8 percent on twos last season. League average was 53.3 percent. The crux of that problem is how he approaches decisions and options when coaxed off the arc, as well as his limitations around the basket.

According to Cleaning The Glass, Murphy shot 52 percent at the rim, which ranked in the fifth percentile among all forwards. He’s almost exclusively a two-foot leaper, lacks vertical explosion off one, and doesn’t possess the strength to power through many defenders for finishes. He’ll often leave his feet prematurely, which puts him in precarious spots.

His reps attacking closeouts or off the bounce last season are fairly concerning. Both the process and the results provide worries about the steps forward to alleviate this current shortcoming.

To Murphy’s credit, he seemed more decisive, physical, and effective exploring off the catch during two Summer League appearances, where he averaged 26.5 points on 63.9 percent true shooting. He is fresh off earning a rotation spot on a playoff team, so he should fare considerably well in that setting. But signs of growth in this realm are nonetheless crucial, even if their translation for the fall is hazy at the moment.

If Murphy can achieve strides as a two-point scorer to garner greater playing time, his two-way archetype is rather enticing. Defensively, his standout trait is off-ball awareness as a low man on the interior. He applies his frame and 7’1 wingspan to blot out plays inside and is typically punctual in his rotations.

A lack of perceptive processing or instincts hinder his playmaking (33rd percentile in steal rate, sixth percentile in block rate). Maybe further assimilation to the NBA remedies that; again, he looked more proactive and anticipatory in his short Summer League stint.

Regardless, Murphy consistently showcased a knack for leaving an imprint on plays when the offense ventured toward the hoop. A 4-man who stretches the floor on one end and hinders or prevents paint touches on the other sports broad utility and isn’t abundant across the league.

The most challenging part of Murphy’s game for me to discern after watching him in-depth, both during the NBA season and this summer, is his on-ball defense. There are clips where he moves seamlessly and contains scoring efforts from players of different ilks. There are other clips in which his rigidity as an athlete and poor technique as a lateral mover render him incapable of offering much resistance.

The former seemed to pop up more commonly as the season progressed, so my read is his on-ball defense was an area he enjoyed tangible strides in throughout the year. He’ll leverage his size aptly to alter shots, but is slow covering ground and prone to being neutralized by picks.

Generally, he’s going to be optimized as a low man on the weak-side defensively and isolating him from many perimeter scenarios is preferred. But learning how to slide laterally — he tends to chop his feet when covering ground instead — and improvement to his flexibility could prove highly beneficial. By no means, though, is his on-ball defense untenable, it’s more a roller coaster of film that muddies the final verdict.

New Orleans is assembling a really superb team for at least the next few seasons, especially if Williamson stays healthy. Guys like him, Ingram, McCollum, Valančiūnas, and Jones may shepherd these potential successes. Murphy will be in the background, though, splashing home three after three on kickout deliveries and jetting in to help paper over perimeter breakdowns. Those players may not lead deep playoff runs, but they are critical for any team that wants to make one.

After making his debut in Stranger Things 4, British actor Joseph Quinn quickly cemented his character Eddie Munson as a fan-favorite, especially after delivering that epic scene where he attracts a horde of Demobats by busting out a slamming rendition of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.” (He also caught the eye of Doja Cat, which became a whole ordeal after co-star Noah Schapp made that information public.)

However, Quinn’s journey to becoming the guitar-shredding dungeon master wasn’t easy for the actor. In a new interview with the “Off Menu” podcast, he revealed that he was extremely self-conscious about doing an American accent to play the ’80s misfit.

“You feel like a sociopath,” Quinn said via Insider. “After awhile I was so far down the rabbit hole, at points I’d be like ‘Do I sound good? Do you like this? Do you like what I’m doing?’”

Fortunately, Stranger Things co-star Joe Keery had bonded with Quinn when he first arrived, and he helped calm the British actor’s nerves. “I was talking to Joe Keery and at one point I was so deep in it, and he was like ‘Dude, I can’t save you, but I promise you it’s gonna be fine,’” Quinn told the podcast.

Once the fourth season dropped its first volume on Netflix, Quinn quickly became a breakout star, and that Metallica scene downright melted the internet once Volume 2 arrived a few weeks later. The actor is so well-loved by Stranger Things fans that they rallied behind him during a recent convention in the U.K. where Quinn was reportedly mistreated by the staff for being too nice to the crowd. He was brought to tears when they thanked him for taking the time to be with them and bringing Eddie to life.

Stranger Things 4 is now streaming on Netflix.

(Via Insider)

Maxo Kream is on a roll, lately — no pun intended. Following up the trunk-knocking “Jigga Dame” and the Benny The Butcher-featuring “Football Heads,” the Houston hard hitter teams up with Silk Sonic singer Anderson .Paak on the head-bopping anthem, “The Vision.” While Maxo recounts some of his favorite sneakers and brags about his high-fashion habits, Paak details the cars, clothes, and women that make him a “legend livin’.”

Maxo’s hot streak continues the momentum from his impressive 2021, which saw him drop videos for “Local Joker,” “Big Persona,” Greener Knots,” “Can’t Leave The Streets Alone,” and “Cripstian” on the way to releasing his third studio album Weight Of The World. The album was well-received by critics and fans and reestablished Maxo’s footing as one of the most captivating rising rappers in the business.

Meanwhile, his collaborator, Anderson .Paak, also had a standout year, thanks in large part to his and his Silk Sonic partner Bruno Mars’s musical pairing. An Evening With Silk Sonic, their group debut, leaned heavily into schtick, but that didn’t stop it from spawning a No. 1 single in “Leave The Door Open,” winning four Grammy Awards for the song, and prompting near universal acclaim.

Listen to Maxo Kream’s “The Vision” featuring Anderson .Paak up top.

Released last year, Magdalena Bay’s Mercurial World is explores the boundaries of hyperpop while remaining in a fluid, ethereal state. What the duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin give up in frenetic beats, they make up for in dreamy soundscapes, presenting itself as more escapist than absurd.

Now Mercurial World Deluxe is coming out on September 23rd, which features 14 new tracks along with the original 14. Included are remixes, alternative takes, new songs, and more.

“The Deluxe is a mish mosh of sorts,” the band says in a statement. “An amalgamation of new songs that didn’t originally fit the flow of Mercurial World, of reimagined versions of existing album tracks by us and some talented remixers, plus some special secrets.”

Magdalena Bay have also shared a new remix of “Chaeri” by PC Music and Caroline Polachek producer Danny L Harle. It offers an energetic kick in the pants to the standout track and you can listen to it above.

Check out the Mercurial World Deluxe artwork and tracklist below.

1. “Secret 1”
2. “The End”
3. “Mercurial World”
4. “Unconditional”
5. “Dawning Of The Season”
6. “Secrets (Your Fire)”
7. “Secrets 2-9: Medley”
8. “You Lose!”
9. “Secret 10”
10. “You Lose! (8-Bit)”
11. “Something For 2 (Cecile Believe Remix)”
12. “Chaeri”
13. “Secret 11”
14. “Halfway”
15. “Hysterical Us”
16. “Secret 12”
17. “All You Do”
18. “Prophecy (Synth & Strings)”
19. “Follow The Leader”
20. “Secret 13”
21. “Chaeri (Danny L Harle Remix)”
22. “Chaeri (Piano & Strings)”
23. “Dominó (Spanish Version)”
24. “Dreamcatching”
25. “Secret 14”
26. “The Beginning”
27. “Mercurial World (Piano & Strings)”
28. “Secret 15”

Mercurial World Deluxe is out 9/23 via Luminelle.

Big Thief has had a solid presence on the NPR Tiny Desk Concert series over the past couple years, although not the band proper: Adrianne Lenker offered a set in 2020 and Buck Meek gave his own performance last year. The last time Big Thief did Tiny Desk was 2016, well before the series had to shift away from its traditional office setup and to the current at-home format.

Now, they’re back, as Big Thief turn in a new Tiny Desk concert today. This time, they take to a small household room — with a small, round table serving as the titular desk — the four of them (Lenker, Meek, Max Oleartchik, and James Krivchenia) squeezing in as they play a trio of songs from their 2022 album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You: “Change,” “Dried Roses,” and “Certainty.” They wrapped up the performance with a rendition of “Happiness,” a currently unreleased song they’ve played live about a couple dozen times since 2020, per Setlist.fm data.

The band didn’t have to deal with any onlookers talking during this performance, which Lenker must appreciate: In a recent video, she lamented concertgoers talking as opening acts perform and gave her reasons why this bothers her so much.

Check out the full performance above.