Month: January 2023

On Monday, Stephen A. Smith probably thought the lowest point in his career was having to publicly clarify that he has never had his ass eaten after insinuating as much while appearing on Jake Paul’s sports show (though most people would have stopped short of “appearing on Jake Paul’s sports show”). But that was before the fiery ESPN host messed with the Rihanna Navy — with Leslie Jones as their leader.

Jones guest-hosted Thursday’s episode of The Daily Show, where she called out Smith for his rather unenthusiastic response to the news that Rihanna will play this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. While appearing as a guest on Sherri, host Sherri Shepherd asked Smith whether he was excited that Riri would be performing at this year’s Super Bowl. His response was… disappointing.

“I don’t want to say I’m not excited. She’s fantastic,” Smith explained… then unfortunately added: “There’s one thing she’s not: She ain’t Beyoncé.”

Jones was NOT having it:

DUDE! NO! Why would you do this to yourself? You know what, Stephen A. Smith? You need to act like your hairline and back the f*** off!

Now, the good news is that he did apologize. The bad news is his apology.

Smith posted a video, which seemed to be shot in the back of an empty party bus, where he addressed Rihanna directly to let her know that she’s a “superstar” and “sensational.” Then came his sign-off: “Good luck, sweetie. Looking forward to see you perform.”

That’s when Jones lost it again: “Oh how DARE you call Rihanna ‘sweetie’! You calling her ‘sweetie’ like you know her. She don’t know you. But you know who she does know? Beyoncé!”

You can watch the full clip above.

The 1980s never went anywhere, not with our nostalgia-obsessed culture, but the decade really never went away on television. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” topped charts around the world after being prominently featured in season four of Stranger Things, while “Goo Goo Muck” by the Cramps inspired a whole new generation of “weird goth girls” thanks to Netflix’s Wednesday. The latest ’80s classic to get a needle drop bump: “Never Let Me Down Again” by Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Depeche Mode.

The single from 1987’s Music for the Masses played over the end credits of the series premiere of HBO’s The Last of Us, a critical and ratings hit. Billboard reports that “Never Let Me Down Again” more than “tripled in official on-demand U.S. streams overnight, from 26,000 on the day of the premiere (Jan. 15) to 83,000 the next day, a gain of 220.5 percent.” The official music video on YouTube is now listed as “Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again (Official Video) (Heard on Episode 1 of The Last of Us).”

An 1980s song might mean trouble for Joel and Ellie, but it’s good news for Depeche Mode, who are going on tour this year. You can find the full list of dates here.

(Via Billboard)

During the mid to late 2000s, Sam Worthington was the go-to actor for leading male action roles. On top of Avatar and Terminator: Salvation, Worthington was eyed for roles like Green Lantern and, of course, James Bond. Obviously, Daniel Craig walked away with the coveted part and went on to star in Casino Royale, but Worthington actually got a chance to audition as the iconic British agent. It didn’t go great.

While promoting Avatar: The Way of Water, Worthington opened to an Australian radio show about bombing the audition for director Martin Campbell. Apparently, a major issue was converting his own Australian accent to British, which was easier said than done. Via New York Post:

“I said, ‘If I do an Australian I’m gonna be the next George Lazenby,’” he said, referencing the Australian actor who only starred in one Bond film. “He only did one and I didn’t want to be like that. So I tried British. It was awful.”

Worthington said the accent that came out of his mouth was nothing short of “laughable.”

“I sounded like Dick Van Dyke from Mary Poppins. I remember [director] Martin [Campbell] going, ‘Just do your normal voice. It’s all cool man,’” he added.

Worthington also had trouble nailing a key part of the Bond role: Wooing the ladies.

“So you [have to] walk in, and there’s the girl in the bed,” Worthington explained. “You charm her… And I couldn’t get the killer of Bond down, I just couldn’t get the charm, I couldn’t charm her. The suit didn’t fit man.”

(Via New York Post)

Caroline Polachek is prepping for the release of her new album Desire, I Want To Turn Into You to follow up her sprawling 2019 opus Pang. The lead single “Welcome To My Island” was a hypnotic, groovy preview: “Welcome To My Island / Hope you like me, you ain’t leavin’,” she sings. Now, the track has been given a fresh twist.

Charli XCX and The 1975’s George Daniel teamed up to hop on a chaotic remix of “Welcome To My Island.” They make the song even more eccentric, opening with a flow that’s so distinctly Charli. Together they turn the song into a clubby anthem that’s sure to make fans dance along.

Polchek recently had to take to social media to express frustration about being referred to as this generation’s Kate Bush. “while I realize it’s a huge compliment,” she wrote, “i’m endlessly f*cking annoyed by being told i’m ‘this generation’s Kate Bush.’ SHE is our generation’s Kate Bush, she is an active artist who’s topping the charts, and is irreplaceable. I, meanwhile, am this generation’s Caroline Polachek.”

Listen to the “Welcome To My Island” remix above.

Desire, I Want To Turn Into You is out 2/14 via Perpetual Novice. Pre-order it here.

Between his movie starring someone with an alleged interest in cannibalism and his actual cannibal movie, director Luca Guadagnino made Suspiria. That’s film star, actress Dakota Johnson, had the honor of presenting the Italy-born filmmaker with an international icon award at a kick-off event for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. “I’ve cherished him deeply,” the Persuasion star said, before joking that “Luca had asked me to play the role of the peach” in Call Me By Your Name, “but our schedules conflicted.”

Johnson then brought up Armie Hammer, albeit without calling him by his name.

That didn’t stop Johnson from taking a jab at headlines involving Hammer. “Luca had asked me to play the role of the peach, but our schedules conflicted. Thank god though because then I would’ve been another woman that Armie Hammer tried to eat.” Moments later, she nodded to Guadagnino’s more recent cannibal love story Bones and All. “It’s been five years since [Call Me By Your Name] premiered here,” she said, “and Luca hasn’t stopped taking us to exciting places. Who knew cannibalism was so popular?”

Johnson previously defended Hammer, who she appeared in The Social Network with. “I never experienced that firsthand from any of those people,” she said in 2021 about working with not only Hammer, but also Johnny Depp and Shia LaBeouf, all of whom have been accused of misconduct. “I had an incredible time working with them… I feel sad for people needing help and perhaps not getting it in time. I feel sad for anyone who was harmed or hurt. It’s just really sad. I do believe that people can change.”

It appears Johnson’s thoughts on Hammer have changed, too.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Yesterday (January 19), the music world learned that David Crosby is dead at 81 years old. Tributes have poured in since then, most notably from his Crosby, Stills & Nash bandmates Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.

Stills shared a statement with Rolling Stone that reads:

“I read a quote in this morning’s paper attributed to compose Gustav Mahler that stopped me for a moment:
‘Death has, on placid cat’s paws, entered the room.’
I shoulda known something was up.
David and I butted heads a lot over time, but they were mostly glancing blows, yet still left us numb skulls.
I was happy to be at peace with him.
He was without question a giant of a musician, and his harmonic sensibilities were nothing short of genius.
The glue that held us together as our vocals soared, like Icarus, towards the sun.
I am deeply saddened at his passing and shall miss him beyond measure.”

In an Instagram post, Nash wrote, “It is with a deep and profound sadness that I learned that my friend David Crosby has passed. I know people tend to focus on how volatile our relationship has been at times, but what has always mattered to David and me more than anything was the pure joy of the music we created together, the sound we discovered with one another, and the deep friendship we shared over all these many long years. David was fearless in life and in music. He leaves behind a tremendous void as far as sheer personality and talent in this world. He spoke his mind, his heart, and his passion through his beautiful music and leaves an incredible legacy. These are the things that matter most. My heart is truly with his wife, Jan, his son, Django, and all of the people he has touched in this world.”

Neil Young — who joined the CSN trio to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — has yet to offer a public comment about Crosby’s death.

Chris Hillman, Crosby’s bandmate in The Byrds, also paid tribute, writing on Facebook, “I lost my friend, David, today. Whose beautiful voice softened life’s blows, and brought so much joy to us all. He was my mentor, my big brother, my friend. The many miles we traveled together will always hold a special place in my heart. Singing with David was a blessing beyond words. I pray God grants him peace, and peace to his wife Jan, and his son Django. “Then the dust returns to the earth, And the sprit returns to God who gave it’ (Ecclesiastes 12:7).”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It was reported yesterday (January 19) that David Crosby — a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee thanks to his iconic work with bands The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — had died at 81 years old. While people his age can have a reputation of not keeping with the times, Crosby was an active and entertaining Twitter user. His final tweets were shared on Wednesday the 18th and in one of them, he cracked a joke about Heaven.

A tweet from another Twitter user features screenshot of a Google search for “can we go to heaven with tattoos.” The lead result reads, “People with tattoos will not go to heaven. People who drink alcohol will not go the heaven. People who eat too much pork will also not go to heaven. Short people will not go to heaven.” Below that is the caption, “The deepest circle of Hell is reserved for tattooed bacon loving alcoholic midgets.” Crosby quote-tweeted the post and added, “I heard the place is overrated….cloudy.”

Among his other final tweets is praise for Greta Thunberg: He re-shared a photo of her getting arrested at a recent protest and wrote, “She is brave ….nothing less.” In another tweet from yesterday, he dubbed “Eleanor Rigby” the “best Beatles song for a rainy day.”

(SPOILERS for this week’s BMF episode will be found below.)

Each week for the ‘BMF’ To Blowin’ Money Fast series, we’ll recap the episode by looking at a few key things to see how they hurt Meech and Terry’s money-making goals. Each item will be marked as a profit or a loss, the former keeping them in the black and the latter pushing them into the red. Throughout the course of the season, something that was once unprofitable could turn profitable, and vice versa, but we’ll have to wait and see what that might be.

Last week on “Family Business,” the second episode of season two of BMF, we spent a lot time with the Flenory family. Whether it be a closer look at the tension between Meech and Terry, Terry’s struggles with Charles and their new business, or the issues between Lucille and Charles’, the lows of the Flenory family were on full display.

In the third episode of season two, titled “Devil’s Night,” Meech and Terry’s respective agendas suffer a crushing blow and it forces them to put their differences aside to help each other out. Meech seeks more product from K-9, and while he is barely able to get him to agree, K-9 gives Meech a critical task to follow before he can get it. He fails to complete the task correctly, and while he’s left to think of a new way to get new product, an old enemy from the past revisits him for revenge which forces Terry to spring into action. On the flip side, the car-ride service business turns out to be quite competitive which Terry learns after ruffling the competition’s feathers. Just like Meech, Terry’s new enemy also gets revenge on him in a way that momentarily sets the car-ride service back. Luckily, thanks to help from a couple of people including Meech, Terry is able to get his own revenge.

Terry

PROFIT

For the second week in a row, Terry is crowned with the profit label for multiple reasons. First, he’s the half of the Flenory Car-Ride Service that actually strives to make the company more profitable. Charles refuses to take the risks Terry wants to, and if he had it his way, it would take them much longer to make the money they want. When a competing car-ride service takes aim at Terry and his cars, it was Terry who figured out a way to retaliate and make sure it happened. When Meech got shot, Terry picked up his broken chain and drove his car to the hospital. No matter where he is, Terry is an asset and one could argue that Meech underestimated his value — especially with B-Mickie’s loyalty in question. We also know for sure that Charles will miss his absence and struggle when Terry eventually moves on from the car-ride business.

Charles Flenory

LOSS

It seems like Charles is really setting out to be the fans’ most disliked character in BMF. Somehow, he’s irritated fans more than Lamar, who killed a child, and B-Mickie, who is seemingly about to give the police the final pieces they need to arrest Meech. However, especially with this episode, it makes sense why people (including myself) feel the way they do about Charles. He continues to be neglectful towards Lucille as their relationship has only gotten worse. When Terry got into an accident with Nicole in the car after a competing car-ride service tampered with their vehicle, he accuses Terry of getting back into the drug and demands that they return to a “safer” and less profitable business approach as a result. This is in addition to Charles threatening their pastor and having eyes for his bandmate at church. Charles brings a loss to the business and the emotional stability of those around him, and quite frankly, I think we’ve all had enough.

Markeisha

PROFIT

Markeisha is a nice addition to BMF, especially when she helps Terry to pay attention to the small details of the car-ride service. Last week, she told him about picking up passengers from the airport to make more money as well as stocking the cars with refreshments to satisfy passengers. Both of these proved to be profitable moves for the ride service. Now, it’s clear that Terry growing feelings for Markeisha are partly why he keeps him going back to her, but following the accident, he goes to her to genuinely seek advice for his next move. It’s here that Markeisha informs that his anger and decision to handle the situation as he would as a drug dealer will only make things worse. So thanks to her, Terry figures out a calmer way — well, it started off calm — to get revenge on the competing car-ride service. In the realm of love, Terry will certainly have things to figure out after their kiss, but as an associate, Markeisha should be here to stay.

Snoop Dogg Pastor Swift’s Advice

LOSS

Snoop Dogg’s role as Pastor Swift in BMF is enjoyable in its sporadic form, but man, he couldn’t have handled the tension between Lucille and Charles any worse. After a Sunday service, Lucille pulls Pastor Swift aside to open up and ask for advice on how to fix the issues between her and Charles — she even tells him about the x-rated magazine she found in his guitar case. Pastor Swift’s advice is for her to basically set aside her needs and become more submissive to Charles, and eventually (hopefully, maybe) Charles’ response will cater to her needs. Pastor Swift also takes things a step further and approaches Charles to let him know that he’s an open ear if he decides to open up about the struggles in his and Lucille’s marriage. That doesn’t go as Charles threatens Pastor Swift who decides to push the envelope just a bit more by telling Charles to find a new place for his x-rated magazines.

Enemies

LOSS

Meech and Terry’s enemies certainly get a momentary upper hand against them in “Devil’s Night.” Lamar breaks free from the hospital and tracks down Meech to shoot him at point-blank range with the goal of killing him. Terry’s beef with the competing car-ride service injures Nicole and leaves the business without their three cars. There are plenty of quotes about along the lines of “enemies strengthen you” (Frank Herbert), but in that process of becoming stronger, one must set aside time and energy from their original in order to focus on beating their enemy. For Meech, this time and energy is money, and even if it makes them stronger, you certainly can’t pay the bills with muscles only. For the Flenory boys, enemies cost time, which costs energy, and that costs money. In their respective worlds, they can’t afford to lose money as it will put them in positions they don’t want to be in.

Revenge

PROFIT

While having enemies can hurt profits, getting revenge on them is certainly one way to ensure that the business remains uninterrupted going forward. Terry proves this is the case by getting back at the competing car-ride service. Pouring sugar in their cars’ gas tanks as well as cutting the brake lines proves to be a very effective yet minimally damaging way to get back at them. It took little effort, aside from the beatdown they laid on one of the drivers, but in the end, the message was delivered. As for Meech, the road towards getting revenge on Lamar begins next week on episode four, but best believe Meech is going to put Lamar away for good once and for all.

New episodes of ‘BMF’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am EST and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm EST.

Ed Sheeran released a new touching tribute video to his late friend, Jamal Edwards. Filmed at an empty Stamford Bridge stadium, Sheeran performs a 64-bar freestyle for SBTV — which Edwards had founded.

“Therapy sessions, digging deep in depression / I got a life full of blessings, but this just breaks my f*cking heart,” Sheeran raps. “People find and stop me in the street and say it’s terrible / But they don’t know you like I knew you and they never will.”

He also heartbreakingly includes a line about how Edwards would have been his daughter’s godfather. “You would’ve loved loving my little girls / If not for them, I’d be done with the world,” he added.

Edwards passed away in February 2022. The British broadcaster and DJ received an outpouring of touching messages after the news of his passing spread, Sheeran included.

“A star’s light shines for millions of years after they go, and his will continue to light up every dark moment, we are all witnessing his power,” Sheeran shared at the time, via NME. “I would not be here without him, professionally and personally. There will never be anything close to what he is, but I’m so grateful to have existed within his orbit.”

Watch Ed Sheeran’s emotional tribute SBTV freestyle above.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ice Spice has released her much-anticipated debut EP, Like…?. Though the EP came only after a few hours’ notice, Spice already has the internet going crazy. On the EP is her Lil Tjay collaboration, “Gangsta Boo,” the video for which was reportedly scheduled for earlier this week, however, was put on hold due to Tjay’s arrest.

On the song, “Gangsta Boo,” Spice is searching for a special kind of love. Over a drilled-up sample of Diddy’s 2002 hit single, “I Need A Girl, Part 2,” Spice says that she’s looking for a “gangsta boo,” rapping, “I’m tryna see how a gangsta move / He never worried bout no exes / All on my body, I’m the bestest / Diamonds keep dancing on my necklace.”

Tjay hops in with a verse, letting Spice know that he fits her criteria.

“I’m a gangsta, I keep it legit / I could hold you, I told her some secrets / So she know I be on that sh*t / Told her ‘not so much know what you know,’ he raps.

Adding a modern touch to an early aughts classic, the two New York rappers play well off of their chemistry with each other.

You can check out “Gangsta Boo” above.

Like…? is out now via Capitol and 10K Projects. Stream it here.