Year: 2022

Festival season continues…and now it’s making its way overseas. SXM Festival recently held its annual event on the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint Martin from March 9 through March 13. Because why go to a music festival when you can go to a music festival and embark on an epic tropical getaway at the same time?

The event included five full days of pool parties, a curated selection of legendary performers and emerging acts, dancing in the sizzling Caribbean sun, and bold fashion statements — all happening at the peak of Saint Martin’s highest mountain with breathtaking 360-degree sunset views.

The jam-packed lineup was chock-full of renowned artists in the underground techno and house scene. Some of the most notable names from SXM Festival included Apache, Audiofly, Awly, Baham, Gab Rhome, Innellea, Jimi Jules, Konstantin Sibold, Layla Benitez, Maga, Alexi Delano, Âme, Amine K, Animal Trainer, Behrouz, Blond:ish, Carlita, Chaim, Chloé Caillet, and Danny Tenaglia (and that’s only a handful of the performers throughout the week).

If you could use an influx of serotonin combined with a bit of wanderlust, you’ll get a kick out of the sights and styles from SXM Festival. The photos below are sure to boost your mood (and inspire you to purchase your next festival ticket).

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Paul George last took the floor for the L.A. Clippers on Dec. 22, with news breaking on Christmas Day that the superstar wing would miss considerable time with a torn ligament in his elbow. In recent days, however, buzz has increased that George could be nearing a return to game action and, on Monday evening, the Clippers provided more optimism with an official injury update. L.A. hosts the Utah Jazz on Tuesday and, in advance of the game, George was upgraded to “questionable” on the injury report.

Beyond the notable upgrade in official distinction, Law Murray of The Athletic reports that George’s family will be in attendance, perhaps providing another positive inkling. George has missed 43 games and, in that sample, the Clippers are just 19-24. Given that Kawhi Leonard is also sidelined, L.A.’s performance has been quite respectable but, on the eve of the postseason, having George in the middle of the Clippers’ lineup could make a considerable difference.

In 26 games before sustaining the injury, George averaged 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, operating as the No. 1 shot creator for the Clippers. He is also a high-end defender and, because the Clippers have been able to hold the line in George’s absence, L.A. projects as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a multi-game cushion ahead of the Pelicans and Lakers to earn at least two cracks at playing their way into the playoffs.

There is no guarantee that George returns on Tuesday. Still, his uptick in work and this upgrade on paper likely signal an imminent return, and the Western Conference just got even deeper.

Will Packer knows all about Hollywood drama. Over the past two decades, the producer has racked up more than 70 credits, including his most recent gig as the producer of the 2022 Oscars. Yes, the one where Will Smith and Chris Rock got into a physical altercation on stage and all hell broke loose.

About an hour after the ceremony had ended, Packer took to Twitter to offer a very short statement on the matter:

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Packer’s somewhat comical tone didn’t sit well with everyone. The producer was criticized for seeming flippant or unfazed by a physical assault that took place on his watch. On Monday morning he took time to address the situation, and the backlash to his tweet. “Black people have a defiant spirit of laughter when it comes to dealing with pain because there has been so much of it,” Packer said, while admitting, “This was a very painful moment for me. On many levels.”

Many viewers questioned why Smith—who shortly after the incident won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in King Richard—was not escorted out of the event. The Academy addressed these concerns with a short tweet, which seemed to side-step the entire question:

Packer previously told The Hollywood Reporter that his main goal for the Oscars telecast, which has been steadily losing viewers in recent years, was to make it a memorable, much-watch event for everyone. “You need something other than just a chance to see stars,” he said in early March. “We have to make a show that is entertaining and appeals to a broad swath of the viewing public.”

Mission accomplished.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

A sea of raucous clapping—and silent, yet enthusiastic sign language applause—rushed through the crowd as the movie “CODA” made multiple wins during the Oscars. That included Best Adapted Screenplay (Sian Heder), Best Supporting Actor (Troy Kotsur) and Best Picture.

You could say that “CODA” was, to all intents and purposes, a sweet and simple family drama. Not Oscar bait.

It’s a story about children of deaf adults, hence the name, and it follows a hearing teenager with a love of music who works with her deaf parents and brother at a fishing harbor. Besides former Oscar winner Marlee Matlin (who won in 1987 for her role in “Children of a Lesser God”), “CODA” had zero “big names.” It also only had a $10 million budget, and was released on a streaming service.

But still, it swept. It’s history-making victories like these that reflect what the Oscars essentially are at its very best—a celebration of art that truly moves us. And the biggest win of the night rightly went to the deaf community.

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Following in the footsteps of his co-star Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur became the first deaf man to win an Oscar.

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During his acceptance speech, Kotsur thanked all the “wonderful deaf theater stages where [he] was allowed and given the opportunity to develop [his] craft as an actor.” He also shared a touching story about his “hero” dad, who became the best singer in his family until a car accident had paralyzed him from the neck down.

And to the CODA and disabled community, his message was simple: “this is our time.”

(Also a special nod to the ASL interpreter, who clearly got choked up but kept going.)

Sian Heder praises ASL as a “beautiful cinematic language.”

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As Heder accepted her award for Best Adapted Screenplay, she called the experience “truly life changing as an artistic and a human being” and thanked the deaf community for being her collaborators and teachers.

In a previous interview with Movie Maker, Heder commented that “so often disability is portrayed in such a precious, earnest way where characters that are deaf or have a disability are portrayed as being either incredibly noble, or objects of pity. And in fact, you know, the only difference with a deaf person is that they can’t hear.” So the ultimate goal was to depict an honest, authentic version of deaf families. Bawdiness and all.

CODA winning best picture shows that recognition can be healing.

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“CODA” not only shines a light on deaf culture. It celebrates it. And its success most likely will pave the way for other films that give continued visibility to the disabled community. Just look at what Parasite’s Best Picture win. After that, Korean cinema blew up, particularly on streaming platforms (looking at you, Squid Game). We have already seen inklings of this trend with inclusion of deaf characters into mainstream movies like Marvel, and with movies like “Sound of Metal” starring a deaf lead. But this kind of widespread global acclaim takes it a step further.

The Oscars might have been a whirlwind of less-than-classy headlines this year, but that doesn’t take away from the positive force for good that is “CODA”’s awards. May all walks of life find their time in the spotlight.

North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn has been in office for less than 15 months, but he’s already seen behind the curtain of what makes Washington, D.C. tick—and it apparently looks a lot like Studio 54 in its heyday.

While being interviewed for the “Warrior Poet” podcast, Mediaite reports that host John Lovell asked the 26-year-old—whose own constituents attempted to block him for running for re-election—whether the life of a politician was anything like what audiences saw on House of Cards. As far as Cawthorn is concerned, the Netflix series might as well have been a docuseries.

“A former president that we had in the ‘90s was asked a question about this, and he gave an answer that I thought was so true,” Cawthorn replied. “He said that the only thing not accurate in that show [is] that you could never get a piece of legislation about education passed that quickly.” But Cawthorn, who maybe kinda sorta might have married a Russian spy (they met at a CrossFit competition that didn’t exist, which a Russian casino scammed him into attending, and should have been his first clue), didn’t stop there. Cawthorn went on to claim that:

“The sexual perversion that goes on in Washington, I mean, being kind of a young guy in Washington, the average age is probably 60 or 70. I look at a lot of these people, a lot of them that I’ve looked up to through my life—I’ve always paid attention to politics—then all of a sudden you get invited to, ‘Oh hey we’re going to have a sexual get-together at one of our homes, you should come.’

‘What did you just ask me to come to?’ And then you realize they’re asking you to come to an orgy.”

Leave it to a Republican to describe an orgy as a “sexual get-together.”

Cawthorn also said that blow runs rampant through the halls of our nation’s capitol. “Some of the people leading on the movement to try and remove addiction in our country, and then you watch them do a key bump of cocaine right in front of you,” he said. “And it’s like, this is wild.”

“Wild” is one way to describe it. “Likely total BS” is another, though it’s interesting that the phrase “key bump” is a part of Cawthorn’s vernacular. CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere did the math and thinks that something is up with Cawthorn’s story.

Matthew Yglesias, who has lived in D.C. for 20 years, was also taken aback by Cawthorn’s accusations, although he pointed out that “I guess I don’t hang out with as many Republicans as Cawthorn does.”

You can watch the full clip above.

(Via Mediaite)

As Coi Leray’s latest single, the Nicki Minaj-featuring “Blick Blick,” picks up steam on the charts, the New Jersey rapper is striking while the iron’s hot. Today, she shared the cover and release date of her forthcoming debut album, Trendsetter. Due in just two weeks, on April 8, the album has a playful cover that has the XXL Freshman bent over double and clutching her cheeks like the poster for Home Alone surrounded by cartoonish illustrations of planets orbiting around her.

“I just want to finally let y’all bxtchs know, ain’t nobody fw me in that booth,” she wrote in the caption. “This will be one of the biggest female artist albums in the world and I put my life on it. It’s not a race, it’s a Trendsetter Marathon.”

The path to Leray’s debut was occasionally a bumpy one. Before her 2020 single “No More Parties” caught fire in early 2021 thanks to a Lil Durk remix, Coi said she was close to giving up on rap entirely. However, once Durk expressed his belief in her, she continued to grind, even despite a less-than-warm reception for her XXL Freshman cypher verse. She also took abuse from fans over her physique, a perceived resemblance to Dej Loaf, and anxiety, prompting her to release “Anxiety” as a single. Even her new single “Blick Blick” was almost derailed by her overzealous father Benzino.

But she’s persevered, “Blick Blick” has become her biggest hit to date, and now, she’s got the chance to prove that she’s no fluke.

Trendsetter is due 4/8 on Republic Records.

A slew of unsuspecting Brazilians in São Paulo thought they were getting the chance of a lifetime to meet Rihanna this past weekend. Selfies were snapped, hugs were given, and one lady even kissed her pregnant belly. Trouble is, this was not Rihanna at all, but rather a very devoted fake Rihanna, who along with sporting the Fenty Beauty empresario’s baby bump, also had a full-on security detail.

In footage captured of the fake Rihanna’s parade through some of the busiest shopping districts and a bus station in São Paulo, the actress stops to talk to a reporter in pretty good Portuguese (this was the dead giveaway). She tells her that she’s been polishing her Portuguese and that she’s here “to buy things for my baby,” as she gently clutches her big fake belly. “I’m so emotional because I’m her #1 fan,” one hysterical fan says to the reporter. The security detail are in full character as well, never breaking their stone faces. Considering husband ASAP Rocky was in São Paulo to play at Lollapalooza Brazil this past weekend, the fake Rihanna had a pretty good alibi for being there.

But alas, this was actually a gag from a TV show called Cidade Alerta on the major Brazilian network, “TV Record.” The actress, is presumably Priscilla Beatrice, who’s is devoted Rihanna impersonator. Her TikTok has over 2 million followers and she does her very best to look the part.

So while these celebrity-crazed Brazilian fans didn’t actually get to meet the pride of Barbados, at least they got to feel some joy for a bit. That’s worth some Instagram likes right?

Watch the clip of the fake Rihanna from “TV Record” above.

One of my absolute favorite things in hip-hop is how the timely pop culture references often evolve with the times. Some rhymes age poorly, depending on the fortunes of the celebrity or work of art they address — see practically any NBA line that isn’t about Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James. Some rhymes, however, do the opposite, becoming even more exquisite as their subjects continue their careers, transforming the context and adding new layers of meaning to the originals.

Case in point: J. Cole‘s 2014 Forest Hills Drive single is currently undergoing an analytical reevaluation on Twitter thanks in large part to last night’s Academy Awards ceremony. In the song, Cole raps, “I want a real love, dark-skinned Aunt Viv love / That Jada and that Will love / That leave a toothbrush at your crib love / And you ain’t gotta wonder whether that’s your kid love.” At the time of its release, it was a fairly straightforward line evoking a wholesome romantic relationship, using Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as examples (ironic, considering the song’s title).

But after last night’s Oscars show, during which Will Smith stormed onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock for making an off-color joke about Jada’s hair (which she shaved due to alopecia, a condition that makes sufferers’ hair fall out), fans have revisited just what “that Jada and Will love” really means, knowing what we know now — which is that Will can and will put his hands on somebody for offending his wife.

Naturally, responses vary. Some say the line also aged poorly, while others have noted the degrees by which it has evolved in the months since we were all teasing them about having an open relationship (don’t hide your hand now). Although a number of celebrities have weighed in, it’s fascinating — and really, really funny — that the person who had one of the wildest takes did so years ago by total accident.

Yep, it seems like Will Smith slapping Chris Rock is the biggest thing to come out of the Oscars since, well, the days of the streaker. That smack is all that everyone can talk about, and it’s prompted discussions of Rock’s 2016 jokes about Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. One can expect plenty of debate about the quality of Rock’s 2022 GI Jane joke in question (it wasn’t great on its face) and the physical outburst wrought by Will, one that he followed up with a weepy speech (in which he rambled, “Love will make you do crazy things”) after winning Best Actor for King Richard.

As the chaos continues to swirl and The Academy mulls over doing something about this situation — ostensibly to prevent a reoccurrence and also to promote a better look — everyone has a take. That includes director/producer Judd Apatow, who weighed in during an interview with Sirius XM’s The Dean Obeidallah Show. In short, Apatow sees Will’s actions as a “mistake” that’s both “embarrassing” and “dangerous.” That last detail arrives with Apatow’s point that Smith is a role model to some, and he hopes that maybe some public lesson can be learned.

“[H]opefully it becomes a teachable moment where Will Smith can speak to people in an honest way about why that was not the way to go,” Apatow declared while noting that Will could spill himself with Jada on the Red Table Talk in days to come. “[O]ne assumes with all he does lately with the Red Table and all of that, that we will hear a very clear expression of why that was a terrible, embarrassing, and dangerous mistake. I’m hopeful that will happen.”

Apatow added that he’ll be “surprised” if Will doesn’t begin to communicate in that way on this subject “because, basically, if that becomes the way it is, then you know, what’ll happen to Ricky Gervais on the next Golden Globes?”

That’s a valid point. It’s already hard enough to get anyone to host the Oscars, and if that turns into people being afraid to present at the Oscars, as well, hoo boy. Then again, one never knows, maybe Chris Rock could step up again and host the whole damn thing again one day. Never say never, but one guesses that he’ll avoid any Will-and-Jada jokes. He’s been there and done that twice already.

(Via Sirius XM)

Lil Uzi Vert and Nigo take an expensive shopping trip in the video for “Heavy,” from the BAPE designer’s new album, I Know Nigo. They’re joined by ASAP Rocky, who also appears on the album on the songs “Arya” and “Lost And Found Freestyle,” and accompanies them into Jacob & Co. after joining Uzi for some dismissive trash talk outside the store. “Y’all just started getting fly,” Uzi sneers. “Y’all n****s just started coming outside, too,” Rocky confirms. The rest of the video is a blur of bling, with Rocky and Uzi stunting aside a stoic, masked Nigo.

I Know Nigo, which dropped on Friday, March 25, is the DJ’s first solo album since 2005’s Nigo Presents: Return Of The Ape Sounds. Co-executive produced by Nigo’s longtime friend Pharrell Williams (a Bathing Ape early adopter since the late ’90s), the album also features contributions from frequent collaborators Clipse, Gunna, ASAP Ferg, Kid Cudi, the late Pop Smoke, Tyler The Creator, and Nigo’s own hip-hop group, Teriyaki Boyz, who last released an album in 2009 with Serious Japanese.

Watch Nigo and Lil Uzi Vert’s “Heavy” video above.

I Know Nigo is out now on Republic Records. Get it here.

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