Year: 2022

It appears that Pusha T is dangerously close to releasing his fourth solo album, which is reportedly titled It’s Not Dry Yet. So far we’ve received one single: the Kanye West- and 88 Keys-produced “Diet Coke.” Pusha also dropped a video for the track and it features an appearance from Kanye, who dances beside him throughout the visual. More recently, Pusha teamed up with DJ and fashion designer Nigo for their new song “Hear Me Clearly.” After the song was officially released, Pusha shared a devastating comment that he received from Pharrell.

“Fun Fact: @pharrell heard this song and told me ‘it’s cool, but I don’t want you to be a mixtape rapper for the rest of your life,’” Pusha wrote in an Instagram post. “I was devastated. He then flew me to Miami and proceeded to produce the first half of the best album of the year.” He concluded, “Moral of the story…always ‘push’ your friends to be greater, even when they’re the greatest.”

Pusha previously confirmed that Pharrell and Chad Hugo, who make up the famed duo The Neptunes, and Kanye West will produce his next album. The Neptunes will produce the first half while Kanye will take on the second. West previously produced Pusha’s first solo album My Name Is My Name, while The Neptunes produced albums by Clipse, the former hip-hop duo of which Pusha was a part alongside his brother No Malice. Pusha also revealed that the album will contain a feature from Jay-Z.

According to Russian news agency TASS, Brittney Griner is being detained on drug charges. The Russian Federal Customs Service announced on Saturday that an unnamed basketball player was arrested at an airport near Moscow after hashish oil was allegedly found in her belongings. ESPN noted that the maximum penalty for this in Russia is 10 years in prison.

A video was released by Russian Customs of the incident, and while it did not specifically identify Griner, it does appear to be the Phoenix Mercury center who has spent her WNBA offseason playing for Russian side UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2014. She is, however, identified as a two-time Olympic basketball champion with the United States — Griner has won Olympic gold medals in 2016 and 2020.

“We are aware of and are closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia,” the Mercury said in a statement, per the New York Times. “We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the WNBA and NBA. We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home.”

“We are aware of the situation in Russia concerning one of our members, Brittney Griner. Our utmost concern is BG’s safety and well-being,” the WNBA players’ union told ESPN. “On behalf of The 144, we send our love and support. We will continue to closely monitor and look forward to her return to the U.S.”

The WNBA additionally released a statement offering support for Griner, while also noting that all other players who were in Russia have since left the country. Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas of Wasserman, told ESPN that the agency is “in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA.”

In the caption, it is alleged that the incident occurred in February of this year, and while it is unclear exactly how long Griner has been detained, Angel McCoughtry wrote in an Instagram caption that this situation has been ongoing for three weeks.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Dua Lipa was being sued by Artikal Sound System, a Florida reggae band, for copyright infringement. The band alleges that the singer stole from their 2017 song “Live Your Life” for her 2020 song “Levitating,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. When the two tracks were compared side by side, it was clear that they shared numerous similarities. However, a TikToker is saying not so fast.

A TikTok-er with the handle @mathiasmorte claims that the lawsuit could be a hoax of some sort. He points out that the YouTube versions of the song were only posted within the last few days while noting that the Soundcloud post of the song dates back to March 2017. He adds that Soundcloud allows users to replace audio files without having to change the song’s post date. Additionally, Soundcloud’s website says this replacement can happen without losing any stats or comments that were originally on the song. Despite this, the oldest comment from the song only dates back to a few days ago.

Towards the end of the video, he points out that it’s highly unlikely that Dua Lipa discovered this song, which had no comments when “Levitating” was released, and decided to copy it nearly note for note. Lastly, TikToker @mathiasmorte questions the timing of the lawsuit as it comes two years after “Levitating” arrived, but a little over a month after Artikal Sound System released their new album Welcome To Florida.

For what it’s worth, it would be extremely bizarre for Artikal Sound System to file a lawsuit over a claim that could be so easily disproven. For starters, Soundcloud could have a record of if and when Artikal Sound System swapped records on their page, as the TikTok video suggests. Furthermore, Artikal Sound System’s “Live Your Life” was a part of their 2017 EP Smoke & Mirrors, and while you can’t listen to it on Spotify, as it was removed from the platform, you can view its greyed-out listing here.

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

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the 2007 blockbuster I Am Legend.

Fifteen years ago, Will Smith had one of his biggest-ever hits with I Am Legend, another take on Richard Matheson’s classic post-apocalyptic novel about a lone survivor fighting off the undead that have replaced much of humanity. Now that film is becoming the latest IP retread, with a twist.

As per Deadline, Smith is teaming up with Michael B. Jordan to produce a belated sequel. Details are currently thin on the ground, but among the things the follow-up will have to do is resurrect Smith’s character, who sacrificed himself to save two of the only other humans left on a planet whose population was [deep sigh] wiped out by a super-virus (albeit a human-made one, meant to eradicate cancer).

I Am Legend hails from a very different time. In the late period George W. Bush era, franchises hadn’t yet taken over Hollywood. Thus, I Am Legend was a one-off that even killed off its valiant hero, with little hope for a sequel. What’s more Smith spent the majority of the film wandering an eerily empty New York City by himself, his only company a German Shepherd, who, of course, doesn’t survive to the end either. Still, Hollywood brings the dead back to life all the time.

Matheson’s source has been adapted for the big screen multiple times, notably with Vincent Prince (in 1964’s The Last Man on Earth, filmed in Rome) and Charlton Heston (in 1971’s L.A.-set The Omega Man). Of course, the Will Smith-led I Am Legend plays very differently now in other ways. The species is still fending off its own deadly super-virus, which turned New York City into a ghost town for a few months two years back. Many noticed the similarities, though a few even got some key points incredibly, irresponsibly wrong, forcing one of the film’s screenwriters to set things straight.

(Via Deadline)

In late 2020, Phoebe Bridgers launched her own label called Saddest Factory Records. The new imprint is under the Dead Oceans record label and Bridgers has a simple vision for it: “good songs, regardless of genre.” Soon enough, she signed singer Claud as well as the indie band Muna. Soon enough, it became clear that Bridgers had more envisioned for the label. She recently launched a radio show under the same name. And during the show’s inaugural episode on Thursday, she shared her cover of Billie Eilish’s “When The Party’s Over.”

“Don’t you know I’m no good for you?/ I’ve learned to lose you, can’t afford to,” Bridgers sang over a soft piano. “Tore my shirt to stop you bleeding/ But nothing ever stops you leaving.” Bridgers’ cover stuck to the original song’s moody production.

After announcing the radio show earlier this week, Bridgers shared her goal and excitement behind the near endeavor. “My favorite way to consume music is incidentally,” she told Rolling Stone. “I hope I can offer something like that to people who tune in.” She added, “In my personal life, I have always had a radio show. Punishing my friends on road trips with hours of dirges and ambient music, I can’t wait to do it professionally.”

You can listen to clips of Bridgers’ cover above.

Popeyes makes the best chicken sandwich in the fast food universe. We’re not just echoing common consensus, we’ve done a deep investigation into the matter. Not only have we eaten, reviewed, and ranked just about every fast food chicken sandwich we could get our hands-on, we’ve also tried a number of delicious chicken sandwich fillets completely plain (meaning no bread, toppings, nothing!) in an effort to deconstruct the flavors to get a better idea of who really makes the best bird (we’re kind of crazy like that), and Popeyes came out on top in both occasions.

So it shouldn’t surprise you all that much when I tell you that Popeyes also has the best fish sandwich in the game. They have their proteins on lock.

The Popeyes Flounder Fish Sandwich was first introduced around this time last year (coinciding with Lent) for a limited time and served as Popeyes’ first foray into the world of fish fillets. It was a home run but not one that stuck around too long. Well, it’s back now and this time Popeyes is also rolling out a spicy version of the sandwich which is exciting because… I mean c’mon, it’s spicy, spicy is always a welcome inclusion in the fast food realm.

But how does the new recipe stand up to the OG, and is this still worth getting in 2022? We found out by trying both sandwiches. Here are our thoughts.

Classic and Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich

So I’ve talked up this sandwich a bit and then… well, look at it. I don’t blame you if you feel like something isn’t adding up because this thing doesn’t look so hot. Never mind not looking good, it doesn’t even look mildly appetizing — like maybe it got left in traffic. This is one of Popeyes’ biggest weaknesses in general, their chicken sandwich also looks like roadkill and the chicken tenders are so haphazardly battered that sometimes you get entire bites that contain nothing but crispy salty breading. But who cares? I won’t pretend presentation isn’t important, but at the end of the day flavor is all that matters and, like the chicken sandwich, this delivers.

First of all, it’s flounder — as far as fast food fish sandwiches go, that’s pretty rare. Flounder has a super mild and subtly sweet flavor, it’s not something that could be described as “fishy,” it tastes very clean. Couple that with Popeyes’ spicy Cajun seasoned breading, and the result is a mix of bold zesty cayenne and paprika flavors, with a delicate-bordering-sweet aftertaste. The sandwich is topped with thick brine-y pickles, and savory tartar sauce, but the real star is the fish.

Last year in my review I mentioned that the breading to meat ratio was all off, the OG version featured a thicker batter that didn’t adhere to the filet properly, that’s been improved here, the breading is much lighter and less distracting.

The new sandwich also includes a spicy version that is topped with the same spicy sauce used on Popeyes’ chicken sandwich in place of the tartar sauce. If you’re sensitive to spicy food, stay away from this one, the filet is already spicy on its own thanks to the cayenne pepper in the breading, so this double down on spice can be overwhelming. If you do like spicy food, definitely give it a try though.

I think it’s a slight improvement over the Classic version of the sandwich. The spicy sauce ditches the tang of the tartar sauce for a smokier flavor that sizzles on the tongue and adds an extra top note to the aftertaste and plays well with the briney earthy flavor of the pickles. The sandwich doesn’t need this spicy addition, it’s already good on its own, but more flavor is never a bad thing. Be warned though, it does have a notable kick.

The Bottom Line:

Mild, fresh, light, flakey, and with a semi-sweet finish that tastes even better spicy. This is the best fish sandwich in fast food, and it’s only available for a limited time and, in my experience, constantly selling out — so move fast!

Find your nearest Popeyes here.

Trump Steaks. Trump Airlines. Trump Vodka. Trump University. Trump: The Game. Tour de Trump. Truth Social, the former president’s attempt at a Twitter clone, doesn’t have his name in it. But it may soon join a long, long list of failed products from someone who’s repeatedly gone bankrupt. And of course, Trump is reportedly whining like a little baby about it.

The instantly sketchy social media service had a soft launch back on President’s Day, and right off the bat things didn’t go so hot. It was only available on iOS, and only in America. There was no web version. What’s more, many of those eager to sign up were instead added to a massive queue that still, some two weeks later, hasn’t abated.

Predictably, Trump — whose attention span is famously short, whose failures outweigh his successes, who’s spent his life exaggerating his might to the gullible — is doing little but fuming to anyone who will listen. As per The Daily Beast:

In recent weeks, sources have heard the former president on the phone swearing gratuitously and asking things like, “What the f*ck is going on” with Truth Social.

He’s repeatedly groused about the negative press and the less-than-stellar optics of the rollout, these sources said. And he’s demanded to know why more people aren’t using it—why the app isn’t swiftly dominating the competition.

Sure enough, the numbers so far aren’t promising. Trump may have inspired a legion of copycats, but now he has to compete with a packed playing field of competitors following in his footsteps. For instance, Gab — the “free speech” service beloved by Nazis and other white supremacists — averages about 650,000 visitors a day. Truth Social kicked off with two million, but it’s already sunk to about 300,000. That puts it on par with Gettr, the platform run by former Trump aide Jason Miller.

Moreover, the Truth Social app was, as of Friday, the 72nd most popular app on the Apple AppStore. For contrast, Facebook is 5th and Twitter, his former favorite hangout, which permanently banned him over a year ago, ranks 22nd. The light traffic may be explained by the persistent long lines to get an account. But once the kinks are belatedly worked out and the soft launch builds to a regular launch, we’ll bet Truth Social will be as much a success as Trump Ice.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Back in 2017, a woman broke into Drake’s house in Los Angeles and allegedly stole bottles of water, Pepsi, and Sprite. The woman, 29-year-old Mesha Collins, was later caught inside the home wearing one of the rapper’s hoodies. She was eventually arrested and convicted of trespassing. However, the ordeal is not over just yet. According to a new report from TMZ, Drake recently filed for a temporary restraining order against Collins. The filing reportedly states that she continued to make visits to Drake’s home, and as recently as last month, sent him threatening emails.

In one of the emails, Collins allegedly wrote that Drake should “put a bullet through your head now b*tch.” If Drake wins the temporary restraining order, the court-ordered protection would extend to his son Adonis and his mother and father, Sandy and Dennis Graham. Drake’s filing comes after Collins pursued a restraining order against him after she unsuccessfully filing a $4 billion lawsuit. In the latter, Collins claims that Drake defamed her by sharing private information about her through his songs and on Instagram.

“In April 2017, somebody broke into my Los Angeles home when I was not there,” Drake said in response to that lawsuit. “At the time of that incident, I was not told any details about the trespasser, including her name.” He added that it was through the new lawsuit that he “learned that Plaintiff is the same person who broke into my house in Los Angeles in April 2017.” As a result, a judge dismissed her lawsuit, and a later attempt by Collins to revive it was also denied.

It’s been a week-and-a-half since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, receiving massive pushback from abroad as well as from Ukrainians themselves. The news has been troubling. Sometimes it’s been surreal. And on Friday night’s Jeopardy!, the brainiac game show inadvertently added to everyone’s woes.

Like any program, Jeopardy! tapes its shows well in advance. Big-time winners, like Amy Schneider, have to hide the truth about how well they’ve done — and when they finally lose — from the public. Back in early-to-mid January, when Friday’s night’s Ken Jennings-hosted episode was taped, the idea of Russia invading Ukraine about a month-and-a-half later seemed pretty far-fetched. So, in the simpler times of early 2022, no one thought anything about having a) a category called “Bordering Russia,” and b) an answer whose question was “What is Ukraine?”

The full $800 clue went as follows: “The Kerch Strait — along with serious border issues — separates Russia from this country on the Black Sea.” The “answer,” of course, is the nation weathering increasingly aggressive Russian forces, who’ve even targeted Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, in an assault that thankfully didn’t lead to continent-threatening catastrophe.

The show’s producers were aware that a category that seemed fine in January is triggering in early March. When the clue appeared, the show’s producers added both a disclaimer in the upper left side of the screen, reading “Recorded on January 11, 2022,” as well as a tweet ahead of the episode’s airing that further clarified the matter.

The night’s champ, Margaret Shelton, incidentally, did not get that one.

(Via THR)

With Devin Booker in the health and safety protocols and Chris Paul sidelined due to a thumb injury, the Phoenix Suns needed someone to come up big to help them rally back from a double-figure fourth quarter deficit against the New York Knicks on Friday night. That someone ended up being Cameron Johnson, who had the best game of his NBA career and banked in a buzzer-beating three to give Phoenix a 115-114 win.

Johnson came off the bench and scored 38 points, with 21 of them coming in the game’s fourth quarter. The former first-round pick knocked down nine of his 12 attempts from three, with the best of the bunch coming as the horn went off to signify the end of the game. After Alec Burks split a pair of free throws to put New York up three in the game’s final seconds, the Suns pushed the ball up the floor.

It looked like the plan was for Cam Payne to attract the defense, dump the ball off to Johnson, and let him pull up, but Johnson received the pass from basically the midcourt logo. Instead of panicking, Johnson took a dribble, pulled up, and let one fly from 30 feet out. Despite it being late, the bank was open at Footprint Center to cap off his career night.

The win gave Phoenix 51 wins on the season, tying the number they achieved last season, and helped them push their lead atop the Western Conference to eight games over the 2-seed Golden State Warriors.