Month: October 2022

If you’ve watched live television recently, you’ve probably seen those ads for Creed III that, instead of showing a trailer, tell you to watch the trailer online. Why not just …. show the trailer for Creed III? This is a question for another day and another blog. Creed III, the third (that’s what III means) film in the Creed franchise that started with Ryan Coogler’s 2015 film Creed and the ninth film in the Rocky Cinematic Universe is looming, with a release expected early next year.

If you’re one of those people who want to be entirely up to date on everything Creed III so you have something to talk about in moments of awkward silence, or in the high chance that someone questions your knowledge on Creed III, you’ve come to the right place. From its release date to the director to the cast to the plot, here is everything you should know about Creed III before it hits theaters in 2023.

When does Creed III come out?

The film’s scheduled release date as of right now is March 3, 2023. The film was originally scheduled to come out Thanksgiving weekend 2022, but the date was pushed back by Warner Brothers in July. Things get moved around a lot these days for various reasons, so it could change again, but for now, expect to see it in theaters exclusively in March 2023.

Who directed Creed III?

Creed III will mark actor Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut. Ryan Coogler, who directed 2015’s Creed, got a little busy with directing Black Panther and its sequel Wakanda Forever to continue with the franchise, and Creed II director Steven Caple, Jr. is a little busy directing Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, expected in 2023. The news that Jordan would direct himself in Creed III was announced in 2021. The film was shot earlier this year.

“Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right,” Jordan said in a 2021 statement, per Variety. “Creed III is that moment — a time in my life where I’ve grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally, and learning from the Greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect. All of which sets the table for this moment,” he continued.

Who is in it?

Michael B. Jordan is reprising his role as Adonis “Donnie” Creed. Tessa Thompson returns as his girlfriend, Bianca. Jonathan Majors of Loki, Lovecraft Country, and being absolutely shredded will appear in the film Donnie’s nemesis in the ring. Unfortunately, Sylvester Stallone is not returning as Rock Balboa. Stallone’s performance in the original film earned him an Oscar nomination for best-supporting actor.

“I think, first of all, Jonathan Majors is incredible,” Jordan said at an October 17 press conference, via Vulture. “Very, very blessed and lucky to have him be a part of this story … The world is finding out daily how incredible this man is in the work that he does, [and he] is finally getting the props that’s due.”

What’s Creed III about?

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

Five years after Creed II, after dominating the boxing world, Adonis “Donnie” Creed has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian “Dame” Anderson, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Donnie must put his future on the line to battle Dame – a fighter who has nothing to lose.

So, basically, the plot is Michael B. Jordan fighting Jonathan Majors. No disrespect to Jordan, but it looks like Majors is going to win this one.

Is there a trailer?

Yes, the trailer dropped in mid-October, and you can watch it at the top of the blog.

One-third of the 2022 NFL regular season is in the books. That is an odd reality after the lengthy annual wait for football to begin, but it’s here and it doesn’t stop. The first four weeks were solid in the space, with Week 5 offering a disastrous result and Week 6 bringing middling outcomes. On the bright side, there is still time, and Week 7 offers an interesting menu of game action, even with high-profile teams enjoying bye weeks.

Before we get into this week’s quintet of selections, let’s check on the overall progress.

• Week 6: 2-3
• 2022 Season: 14-16

Come get these winners.

Arizona Cardinals (-2.5) over New Orleans Saints

I want to throw up. Arizona is maddening in every way. Arizona is poorly coached. Arizona cannot seem to function on schedule. Every caveat applies. However, this number is still short (although, I liked it more at -1.5 earlier this week), and New Orleans is suddenly scuffling a bit on defense amid offensive questions at quarterback and elsewhere. There is a “last stand” kind of vibe to the Cardinals on a short week, but Kyler Murray also tends to be much better when DeAndre Hopkins is on the field, and he’s back this week for good measure.

TEASER: Indianapolis Colts (+8.5) over Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins (-1) over Pittsburgh Steelers

From time to time, we lean on a teaser that fits strong principles. In short, Wong teasers (explanation here) can be profitable when taking key numbers into account, and this fits the bill. Indianapolis has been a tricky evaluation this season, but there are signs of life with a more pass-happy approach, and pushing this to 8.5 is appetizing. As for Miami, this is a home game against a shaky Pittsburgh team and, while we had the Steelers in successful fashion last week, Miami should be able to hold serve.

Cincinnati Bengals (-6.5) over Atlanta Falcons

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a Falcons fan. It’s been fun this season with a wacky, run-based approach, and the team is clearly overachieving its talent. In fact, the Falcons are 6-0 (!!!) against the spread and riding high after an outright win over the 49ers last week. Alas, it’s time to zag. This number was in the -10 range earlier in the season, and I’m buying the dip at less than a touchdown.

Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens OVER 45.5 points

I hate this as much as you do. We almost never give out Overs in this space, but this is a number we have to take. Cleveland is in the bottom six of the NFL in rushing DVOA and passing DVOA on defense, with the Ravens lined up to take full advantage. On the other side, Baltimore has been stingy against the pass and vulnerable against the run, which is not the formula you want against the 2022 Cleveland Browns. I also like Baltimore but that number has gotten away from us. Hold your nose and root for a lot of points.

Denver Broncos (-1) over New York Jets

Yep, we’re doing this again. Denver treated us well on Monday night, getting home as an underdog in Los Angeles. This is a different situation in needing the Broncos to actually win a football game, but I think this line should be three. New York is enjoying a nice season and, well, Denver’s offense stinks, but the Broncos bring a top-shelf defense and this is a friendly number for us at home.

ESPN has struck gold with its Monday Night Football alternate broadcast hosted by Peyton and Eli Manning. While the pair do not go on the air every week, the Manningcast gives fans a look into a game from the perspective of two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, along with whatever guests they bring in on a given week.

Now, the Worldwide Leader is bringing the concept to the NBA, and in a bit of news that probably shouldn’t be a surprise, Stephen A. Smith is getting tabbed to host. According to Variety, Smith is scheduled to host four editions of NBA in Stephen A’s World beginning on Oct. 26, with Peyton Manning serving alongside Smith as a co-executive producer.

Per Variety:

When Smith debuts the first of four scheduled “NBA in Stephen A’s World” shows on October 26, he intends to give NBA fans a look at how he watches sports. Viewers will see “a very relaxed format,” he tells Variety in an interview, that will put a spotlight on “how I watch a game, the kind of things that I pay attention to, the kind of things I talk about when I’m just sitting around talking to family and friends.” He will bring on high-profile guests from the world of sports, entertainment, and media.

Additional episodes of the broadcast will come on Nov. 22, Dec. 2, and Dec. 25, while it remains to be seen if more will exist beyond that.

In this week’s episode of Fresh Pair, Harlem rapper Jim Jones breaks down his picks for the most stylish rappers in hip-hop today and explains why his creative output has increased in both quality and quantity. “Before, I used to consider music like homework,” he said. “Now, I’m more eager to do it than I [was] before.”

In the early 2000s, Jim Jones rose to prominence alongside The Diplomats, a group comprised of Cam’ron, Juelz Santana, Jones, and Freeky Zekey. The release of their 2003 debut album Diplomatic Immunity changed the face of hip-hop, starting a movement that has remained a nostalgic fixture of the era to this day. Over the years, though, they’ve seen plenty of friction, which could be seen in their approach to their Verzuz battle with The Lox last year. Meanwhile, each of the group’s members took time during the hiatus to record their own individual projects, with Jim Jones going from reluctant star to the most prolific member of the group.

While his best-known hit is, of course, “We Fly High” with its signature “ballin’” dance, in more recent years, he’s actually put out an impressive array of tunes, both as a solo artist and on joint releases with the likes of producers DJ Drama and Harry Fraud and Brooklyn rapper Maino. Here are the best Jim Jones songs, ranked.

10. “Pardon My Thoughts” Feat. Dave East

2020 turned out to be a productive year for Jones in terms of recalibrating for the impressive run ahead. As far as album releases go, there was only the deluxe version of the previous year’s El Capo, which produced this gem alongside fellow Harlemite Dave East. It’s not a passing of the torch so much as it is an OG inviting a young gun to sit at the table as they swap stories about their respective experiences.

9. “Bada Bing” Feat. French Montana

Truthfully, this one gets a nod mostly because it’s so important. The years of friction between the two New Yorkers came to an end in 2021, with both appearing on each others’ albums. While “Too Late” from French’s Coke Boyz 5 is the better song, this is a Jim Jones list, and honestly, it’s just nice to see these two knuckleheads having fun making music together again.

8. “A Monster Made It”

The Fraud Department, Jones’ 2021 collaborative album with sample-flipping producer Harry Fraud, is the project that perhaps best shows Jones’ commitment to the craft. Fraud provides a variety of challenging instrumentals way outside Jones usual lane, and the rapper rises to the challenge, alternating between greasy and reflective tough talk detailing the travails of the streets.

7. “Lobby Boyz Anthem” Feat. Lyrivelli

Coming from Jones’ most recently released collab project, Lobby Boyz with Maino, this gritty, menacing anthem hits a sweet spot thanks to the Yvonne Fair sample that has backdropped some of rap’s hardest instrumentals, most notably Jay-Z’s “Where I’m From.” The two rappers do that legacy proud, bringing out the best in each other.

6. “We Set The Trends” Feat. Migos

In 2021, Jim Jones got his own Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama, giving him yet another set of wildly different instrumentals to work with including this horn-heavy street stomper alongside North Atlanta’s finest. It’s worth a few spins for the ad-lib-a-thon alone. There’s great chemistry between Jones and the Southerners and it’d probably be a lot of fun to see what Migos would put together alongside the full Dipset — as unlikely as that proposition looks these days.

5. “State Of The Union” Feat. Rick Ross & Marc Scibilia

2019’s El Capo was very much a turning point for Jim Jones, who unlocked a new level of motivation after taking a hiatus from releasing albums to focus on his Vampire Life mixtapes throughout the 2010s. Those tapes sharpened his skills but after releasing the nostalgic Wasted Talent in 2018, he found a way to keep a Timberland boot planted in the past while taking a huge step into the present.

4. “Good Die Young” Feat. Marc Scibilia

The best hip-hop songs are always the heartfelt odes to the fallen (see also: “T.R.O.Y.,” “I’ll Be Missing You,” “Blue Laces”). Jones’ contribution to the canon is a soulful anthem from El Capo with a bluesy hook by Marc Scibilia in which Jones salutes both his nearest and dearest and late peers in the rap game like Nipsey Hussle and XXXTentacion.

3. “Crunk Muzik” Feat. The Diplomats

The second single from Jones’ debut studio album On My Way To Church, “Crunk Muzik” came out during the classic Dipset era, and it shows in the trio’s chemistry. The song is somehow both menacing and hilarious (Cam’s sound effects, Juelz’s multisyllabic rhyme schemes), and references to the cult classic action flick The Warriors just add a chef’s kiss to the whole situation.

2. “NYC” Feat. Fat Joe

Built on a sample of The Chainsmokers’ “New York City” courtesy of longtime Dipset producers The Heatmakerz, 2019’s “NYC” is classic Jim Jones. The multisyllabic Harlem flow is in full effect, the love and hate for the Big Apple shimmers through every bar, and Fat Joe delivers one of his coldest verses in years. It’s a prime example of how to age gracefully, and was one of the first signs of Jones’ newfound hunger.

1. “We Fly High”

Look. There’s just no arguing with history. “We Fly High” wasn’t just a hit — it was a movement. Spawning a remix featuring Birdman, Diddy, Juelz Santana, Lil Wayne, T.I., and Young Dro, its “ballin’” ad-lib is inescapable and always comes with the accompanying jump shot move. Jimmy might be tired of the biggest hit of his career, but the world at large still loves it and surprisingly, it still holds up over 15 years later.

After literal years of delays, the lawsuit against Cardi B over her Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 cover art has finally gone to trial. Cardi took the stand yesterday (Wednesday, October 19), lashing out against Kevin Brophy and his attorney A. Barry Cappello, accusing them of shaking her down for money. Brophy first filed the suit against Cardi in 2017, claiming he was “devastated, humiliated and embarrassed” by the mixtape’s cover, which featured his distinctive back tattoo superimposed on a model posing like he was going down on Cardi.

Brophy’s case argues copyright infringement; Cardi’s defense hinges on the fact that she paid a designer for the cover, who found a photo of Brophy’s tattoo on Google, and she had no way of knowing who the tattoo belonged to. According to Billboard, the judge had to actually dismiss the jurors from the courtroom to tell Cardi and Capello to chill out, even going as far as threatening to declare a mistrial.

For her part, Cardi was incensed at the suggestion that Brophy’s image had contributed so much to her meteoric rise. “This is not about taking anything down,” she said. “Y’all have been harassing me for $5 million.” She explained that the mixtape didn’t earn much money and she only received a percentage of its profits in the first place. For what it’s worth, she might have a point; GBMV1 didn’t receive much attention (which is a shame, she really set the stage for her future growth on it, and it’s interesting to see how she built on the foundation it laid). Even its follow-up, Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 2, didn’t get a notable reaction in comparison to her single “Bodak Yellow,” which launched her to stardom.

Meanwhile, Cardi remains skeptical of Brophy’s claims. “It’s not Mr. Brophy’s back,” she said Wednesday. “It doesn’t look like Mr. Brophy at all. There has been not one receipt he has provided in the court claiming, ‘Hey, that’s you on Cardi’s mixtape.’” The verdict in the case is expected today.

If there’s anyone winning at life right now, it’s Kim Seokjin — BTS’ eldest member, also known as Mr. Worldwide Handsome.

In a string of promotional teasers this week, it was revealed yesterday (October 19) that Coldplay has once again linked up with BTS for Jin’s solo single “The Astronaut” as co-writers.

Today, Chris Martin’s involvement in Jin’s single was only proven further in an exchange of wholesome text messages that eventually unveiled the news of Jin flying out from Seoul to Buenos Aires, Argentina to showcase “The Astronaut” with the band. Jin thanked Martin and his crew for helping his single (and fanboy dreams) come to life.

“Thank you so much for working so closely on this song with me, and listening to my opinions every step of the way,” the BTS vocalist texted. “I feel super honored to have worked with you, my superstar, my bro. And performing this song in Argentina sounds amazing! I will make it happen no matter what because you are my superstar.”

https://twitter.com/bts_bighit/status/1583020223418228738/photo/2

If there’s anything that further proves the tight bond between Jin and Coldplay, or BTS overall, it’s the guitar Martin gave the Korean artist during their first meet for “My Universe” last year. Signed, kissed, and personally hand-delivered to Jin, Martin teaches the BTS member how to play a chord.

Check out the full clip from BANGTAN BOMB of both world renowned bands meeting for the first time and Jin living the ultimate Y/N (Your Name) life below.

George Conway is the Chuck Rhoades of MAGA Land. While Kellyanne Conway spent years as one of the most loyal advisers and confidantes to Donald Trump, her husband, attorney and political activist George Conway, has been one of the former president’s harshest critics.

But even now that his wife is no longer in Trump’s employ, Conway still exerts an awful lot of energy on taking very public potshots at the 45th President of the United States. And his latest prediction is that Trump’s mounting legal problems are going to manifest themselves in what George described as “the meltdown to end all meltdowns.”

As Mediaite reports, Conway chatted with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Wednesday night, shortly after a federal judge ordered former DOJ official John Eastman to turn over a series of emails to the January 6th Committee that are apparently key pieces of evidence in establishing whether Trump — and, by extension, Eastman — sought to obstruct justice.

“The emails show that President Trump knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and to the public,” Judge David Carter wrote in his 18-page opinion on the matter. “The Court finds that these emails are sufficiently related to and in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the United States.”

Translation? Trump’s goose could very well be cooked, according to Conway:

What this is, is a smoking gun in Georgia because if you look at what the judge describes here of these emails is, they file a lawsuit, a state court lawsuit in early December, Dec. 4, making various allegations about dead people voting, about felons voting, unregistered voters voting. And by the end of December, they’re aware that these allegations are false. And that’s the email that the judge votes here, one of the e-mails where Eastman says the president has since been made aware that some of the allegations have been inaccurate. And then they go and actually the lawyers go and have him file a federal lawsuit where Trump certifies under oath, verifies under oath, that these allegations were in fact, true. That’s perjury and that’s certainly evidence of federal crimes.

Conway has never made a secret of his disapproval of his wife’s former boss. And both George and Kellyanne clearly don’t see eye-to-eye on a number of matters regarding Trump. Which must have made for some seriously interesting dinner conversations in the Conway household last night.

You can watch a clip of the conversation here on Mediaite.

(Via Mediaite)

Remember when conservatives had a perfectly normal reaction to a video of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) harmlessly dancing to “Lisztomania” by Phoenix while she was in college? Surely they will be equally chill about the footage of AOC responding to a crowd of protestors holding “F*CK AOC” signs by shimmying.

Mediaite reports that during “a Wednesday night event in her district, which includes parts of Queens and The Bronx, protesters could be heard chanting ‘AOC has got to go!’ People also held signs that read ‘WAKE UP New York,’ ‘AGENDA 2030: U.N. IS DIRTY, SAVE HUMANITY’ and ‘FUCK JOE BIDEN.’ Ocasio-Cortez could be seen sitting on a stage and moving her shoulders and arms, followed by taking a drink of water.” She also pointed at one of the protestors — this guy? — and said, “Very classy, sir. Thank you.”

You can watch the footage below.

Naturally, Lauren Boebert has weighed in.

Ocasio-Cortez hasn’t tweeted about the dancing video, but she did respond to a recent tweet by Mike Pence. “I’ve got news for President Biden. Come January 22nd, we will have Pro-Life majorities in the House and Senate and we’ll be taking the cause of the right to Life to every state house in America!” the former-vice president, who refuses to speak out against Donald Trump in 2024 even though his MAGA-loving supporters tried to hang him, tweeted. AOC replied, “And I’ve got news for you: Absolutely no one wants to hear what your plan is for their uterus.”

(Via Mediaite)

In case British politics weren’t confusing enough, people on Twitter are having a field day over a head of lettuce following the news that Liz Truss will resign as Britain’s prime minister after a scant six weeks in office. (And, yes, there’s already talk of Boris Johnson coming back.) Truss made the announcement on Thursday following a disastrous economic plan that severely impacted the British pound.

Truss was already on shaky ground following her controversial appointment just two days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, which prompted a British tabloid, the Daily Star, to come up with a cheeky, produce-based contest to see how long Truss would last in office. Via PEOPLE:

Writing about how quickly she lost hold of the government ​The Economist estimated that Truss had just “seven days in control” — which equated to, as the magazine put it, “roughly the shelf-life of a lettuce.”

British tabloid Daily Star seized on the comparison, quickly setting up a live feed of a head of lettuce next to Truss’ photo and asking: “Will Liz Truss outlast this lettuce?”

To the surprise of everyone, the lettuce won. Truss will head out, and Twitter has been having an absolute field day with the fact that she lost to head of iceberg lettuce. Even Anthony Scaramucci got in the act. Although, in fairness, Truss lasted much longer than his infamous 10 day run as the White House Director of Communications during Trump’s first year in office.

You can just some of the Liz Truss lettuce jokes below:

(Via PEOPLE & Daily Star)

Freddie Gibbs couldn’t help but continue to troll DJ Akademiks during a recent freestyle.

The Indiana rapper stopped by Power 106 to chat with L.A. Leakers about his latest album, Soul Sold Separately. During the broadcast, the “Built for This” rapper delivered a killer freestyle over Jay-Z’s “This Can’t Be Life” beat. The classic track debuted in 2000 and featured Beanie Sigel and Scarface with production by Kanye.

At the top of his freestyle, Gibbs yelled, “I’m the prize!” regarding the viral video in which DJ Akademiks was seen breaking up a fight between his girlfriend and another unknown woman. In the footage, the media personality is seen shouting at his partner before screaming, “I’m the prize!”

Gibbs then took it a step further by calling Akademiks “abusive” and urging him to “stop taking purses from girls.”

“You abusive, stop taking them purses and all that sh*t from them girls,” Gibbs says. “It’s L.A. Leakers. Come to the west coast, man, we’ll buy a purse. If you want a purse, I got you. ”

In other news, earlier this month, the rapper released a video for the Jacob Blake-produced track “Dark Hearted.” In the animated video, Gibbs transports fans into his world, complete with rabbits, grenades, and UFOs.

Check out the freestyle above.