Month: April 2023

The Sacramento Kings are up 2-0 on the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, but the Kings took an L when E-40 was controversially ejected from Game 1 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, April 15.

The following day, E-40 released a statement explaining that he felt he “was subjected to disrespectful heckling” and was met with “racial bias” when Golden 1 Center security “assumed that I instigated the encounter and proceeded to kick me out of the arena” (as reported by Shams Charania):

E-40 issued another statement, this time alongside the Kings, on Wednesday, April 19, and it was determined “that there was a miscommunication regarding the circumstances” and clarified that E-40 “did not stand excessively from his ticketed courtside seat.” Here it is in full:

But today, April 20, E-40 had the final word. He dropped “Front Row 40” along with a video directed by Jae Synth. The visual finds E-40 reclaiming his rightful place courtside. “Front Row 40, four-seat Earl / Feet on the wood, me and my girl,” the Bay Area icon raps as footage cycles through of E-40’s past front-row adventures.

E-40 boasts about people saying “they watch the games just to see what I’m gonna wear” and “text me and say they see me on the Jumbotron.” Of course, the video wouldn’t be complete without a clip of Steph Curry dapping up E-40.

It’s likely that E-40 will be in attendance to root on his Dubs in Game 3 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, but it sounds like 50 Cent might be a game-time decision. The Warriors will need all the juice they can get from their home crowd; they’ll be without Draymond Green, who was suspended for tonight’s Game 3 after stomping on Domantas Sabonis in Game 2. The game tips off at 7 p.m. local time.

Watch “Front Row 40” above.

Despite repeated backfires, Ron DeSantis is refusing to back down from his efforts to punish Disney for challenging his “Don’t Say Gay” bill last year. The situation reached a boiling point earlier this week when DeSantis threatened to build a prison near the Walt Disney World resort. That development arose from DeSantis’ being outsmarted by Disney in a humiliating legal clause that stymied the Florida’s governor attempt to take control of the special district where the park resides.

However, DeSantis has reportedly entered uncharted waters by attempting to nullify Disney’s legal maneuver retroactively, which is raising several constitutional concerns about how a governor can just ignore contracts.

Via The Guardian:

Now, in a move Democrats say is unconstitutional, lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a measure handing the DeSantis loyalists retroactive power to nullify the agreement by amending a land use law relating to special taxing districts.

And in its own separate meeting the same day, the new board laid out its plans for Disney, including a huge increase in taxes and building low-income housing on land adjacent to its popular theme parks.

Meanwhile, Disney has been prepared for DeSantis to lash out. CNBC reports that the entertainment giant has instructed lobbyists to keep a close eye on any land deals made in or around the special district where Disney World sits. Those lobbyists are to “start aggressively working against” any such bills, and they may be successful as some state Republicans are reportedly not on board with DeSantis mounting a war against Florida’s biggest source of employment and tourism revenue.

(Via The Guardian, CNBC)

The YSL RICO case — which has been underway since January, with court selection taking up most of the three months since — took yet another dramatic turn this week, as Atlanta local news reports one of the attorneys for the defense was arrested for battery and bringing contraband to court this morning.

Anastasios Manettas was handcuffed and charged with one count of simple battery against a law enforcement officer, one count of obstruction, and two counts of pills not in their original container after being caught allegedly bringing the prescription pills to the Fulton County courthouse and throwing his phone at a deputy. Manettas is the defense attorney for Young Thug co-defendant Miles Fairley.

He wasn’t the first person to be caught allegedly smuggling contraband into the courthouse. In January, co-defendant Yak Gotti’s mother was arrested and charged with a criminal attempt to commit a misdemeanor after trying to pass the rapper a bag reportedly filled with tobacco and rolling papers.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, another defendant, Rodaluis “Lil Rod” Ryan, was led out of the courtroom after being suspected of having marijuana in his possession but made a commotion loud enough to be heard in the courtroom, prompting the courtroom to be cleared.

In three months, not a single juror has been selected, although some potential jurors have been censured for not taking the process seriously. One of the defendants, Jayden Myrick, aka SetTrip, filed a motion in February to have the case declared a mistrial due to discovery material being made public and potentially biasing any jurors against him.

The entire case, of course, hinges on the state’s belief that YSL Records is not just a record label, but a criminal organization.

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

Major Slipknot fan over here. Major Vera Farmiga fan over here as well.

Granted, I never imagined that I’d possibly hear Vera Farmiga howling as though an exorcist would be welcome while channeling the rage of Corey Taylor through lyrics such as “I push my fingers into my eyes / It’s the only thing that slowly stops the ache / If the pain goes on / I’m not gonna make it.”

Oh, it happened.

These two wonders of the world come together as one in an unexpected way. As revealed this week by the Conjuring and Up In The Air star, Vera duly belted out a performance of “Duality” with, as she wrote on Instagram, “my buds at @rockacademyofficial. Best. Music. School. On. The. Planet.”

Who knew that Vera had this in her? Now, I’m wishing that she would carry this act further, possibly into one of The Walking Dead spinoffs with Slipknot perfectly timed in the background. I also need lead singer Corey Taylor to weigh in on this matter through social media. However, he’s a little busy right now, mourning the loss of his knees.

Let’s take a detour here. Previously, Corey did discuss his knees with us. He’s had “scar tissue” cleaned up in those all-important joints, and he declared, “You know, I’m not twenty anymore, and as hard as I try to go, sometimes the machinery doesn’t wanna f*cking do what it’s told.” If he ever needs to take a night off from touring, perhaps Vera Farmiga would be happy to oblige.

Is there any TV award that Jennifer Coolidge didn’t win for her performance on The White Lotus?

The actress has an Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and two Critics’ Choice Television Awards, one for each season of the HBO series. She will soon add an MTV Movie & TV Award to her collection, but this is no ordinary golden popcorn bucket: Coolidge will be presented with the Comedic Genius Award during the ceremony on May 7th.

She will be the sixth person to receive the prize, following Jack Black, Sacha Baron Cohen, Melissa McCarthy, Kevin Hart, and Will Ferrell.

Coolidge was also recently named one of the 100 most influential people of 2023 by Time. “When she left for Sicily to make the second season of The White Lotus, I missed her,” Mia Farrow wrote in an essay for the publication. “She returned, of course, to a tsunami of prestigious awards recognizing her mesmerizing performance. Adoration for Jennifer, initially led by discerning cinephiles and, of course, the gay community, was now everywhere.”

Farrow credited Coolidge’s “eccentric mannerisms, hilarious improvisations, and, most of all, aching vulnerability” as the reasons why people fell in love with her friend. She added, “She’s a national treasure.”

To find the full list of MTV Movie & TV Award nominees, head here.

(Via MTV)

Netflix knows that the Duffer Brothers are pretty good at what they do, which is probably why the streamer keeps asking them to work on various big-name projects. The duo has a lot on the agenda in the coming years, including a live-action Death Note reboot, an adaption of Stephen King’s The Talisman, and the final season of that little-known show Stranger Things. But the boys seem to love keeping busy, and they are embarking on their next project with (you guessed it) Netflix!

The brothers will produce a supernatural drama series (it’s what they do best!) called The Boroughs. The series comes from co-creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who previously worked on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, the Netflix follow-up to Jim Henson’s iconic 1982 adventure film.

In a statement provided to Variety, the Duffers explain that The Boroughs is right up their alley. “We’ve been fans of Jeff and Will’s writing for a long time, and when they pitched us their idea for The Boroughs, we immediately knew they had something very special on their hands,” the Duffers said.

The brothers continued, adding that fans of Stanger Things will surely be on board with the new series. “While the heroes in The Boroughs have a few more years on them than the kids from Stranger Things, they are a similarly lovable bunch of misfits, and we can’t wait for you to join them on an adventure that is at turns scary, funny, and deeply touching.” Even though it’s just a statement, it’s still nice to imagine the brothers reciting it in perfect unison.

As for The Boroughs, the cryptic synopsis is as follows:

In a seemingly picturesque retirement community in the New Mexico desert, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop an otherworldly threat from stealing the one thing they don’t have… time.

In other words, after the world mourns the loss of Stranger Things next year, we will all have something to look forward to. Who doesn’t love a good drama set in New Mexico?

(Via Variety)

Snoop Dogg already sold out his limited-edition Doggystyle vinyl box set, but his celebration of 4/20 didn’t end there. He teamed with Bebe Rexha for her new single, “Satellite,” billed as a “disco-inspired stoner anthem.”

Out today, April 20, “Satellite” boasts a trippy video from Venturia Animation. It begins with the real-life Rexha and Snoop Dogg lounging around. Snoop is smoking a blunt, of course, and explains to Rexha that he’s there to help her “do some different things and go to a different place.”

“You know, Snoop, I’ve always wanted to go to outer space, and I heard you’re the right guy to talk to,” she says.

Snoop exhales in Rexha’s direction, and we’re taken into an animated universe. Naturally, an animated Snoop greets us — he has green skin and a goatee in the shape of a marijuana leaf — with, “‘Tis the season for pleasin’! What happens here, stays here. Am I loud and clear? Or is the smoke f*ckin’ with your ear?”

A disco-infused pop beat kicks in, and we find Rexha animated in the style of The Jetsons. “Last night I got higher than a satellite,” she belts.  “I took a one way ticket  / It’s a one man mission to paradise.”

Snoop adds an infectious flow, “Prepare to take flight / I’m the captain here, my dear / No veers just steer through the atmosphere / D-P-G-C, we be Snoopy Bebe.”

“Fans will be able to immerse themselves even further in the ‘Satellite’ universe with Bebe’s Mothership Hot Box,” a press release explains. “After logging on to the TerraZero Intraverse space, which delivers a higher fidelity experience that’s also mobile-accessible, visitors can explore vintage environments, dive into Rexha’s new music, seek out a very special prize, and of course, smoke a virtual blunt to blast off to the mothership!”

It continues, “The activation was built by TerraZero using their Intraverse technology — the debut of the technology for TerraZero and the first use of the technology for Warner and the music industry.”

Rexha is closing in on the arrival of Bebe, her third studio album due out on April 28.

Watch the “Satellite” video above, and see Rexha’s upcoming Best F*n Night Of My Life Tour dates below.

Bebe is out 4/28 via Warner Records. Find more information here.

Bebe Rexha is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

I think it’s safe to say Jack Harlow is having a great week. The new trailer for White Men Can’t Jump, in which he stars, looks great, and he’s more than a comedic match in the teaser for Dave that came out yesterday. So, even having Beavis & Butt-Head, those icons of the ’90s counter-culture hating on probably can’t bring him down.

In the recently rebooted show, which is now streaming on Paramount +, the two foul-mouthed slackers bestow Harlow with their trademark snark as they watch the video for Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby.” “This video’s, like, really groundbreaking because Jack Harlow’s not in it,” Butt-Head intones, just before Harlow hits the screen for his oft-remarked-upon guest verse. “Euuugh, nevermind.”

In another episode, the duo also regards Audrey Nuna‘s “Comic Sans” video, which Harlow also guests in. “If Jack Harlow was tattooing me,” Butt-Head jokes, “I’d have him tattoo ‘Jack Harlow sucks.’” Well, you know what they say: All publicity is good publicity.

Thanks, Stereogum for the spot.

Despite B&B‘s harsh judgment, it looks very much like the world’s going to be getting all the Jack Harlow it can handle. In addition to working on his third album, Jack’s also landed his next movie role alongside Matt Damon and continues to see his music reach new milestones. I wrote this earlier today, but it’s a bad week for Harlow haters.

Watch the first episode of Beavis & Butt-Head above. The show will stream weekly on Paramount +.

It’s important and necessary to begin with this: The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are both great movies. Actually, “great” is an understatement, so let’s try again: Francis Ford Coppola’s Best Picture winners are two of the greatest films of all-time… but Al Pacino, who would know, thinks one is slightly better than the other.

“No, I don’t,” Pacino said at a recent 92nd Street Y event when asked if The Godfather Part II is superior to The Godfather (The Godfather Part III was not brought up). “I really think it’s more — what would you call it — artistic or something, I don’t know. I don’t mean to play it down and be overly modest because I star in it with Bob de Niro, but at the same time, it’s a different film.” He called The Godfather “more entertaining,” while The Godfather Part II is “this study, this personal thing for Francis.”

He continued:

“Godfather I, I saw it recently, it’s always got two or three things going on in a scene. You’re always in the story, you’re going. You don’t know what’s going to happen next, it’s storytelling, it’s really storytelling at its best. Godfather II sort of linearizes, and [it’s] kind of different, somber, moves slowly. But it’s a great movie, I have to say.”

It’s fun to imagine Pacino cracking open a cold one and putting on The Godfather after a long day of work. It was either that, or an episode of Modern Family on Freeform. “The Godfather?” he says. “Don’t mind if I do!”

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Rudy Giuliani is an… interesting fellow. In addition to being the subject of a $1.3 billion defamation suit brought about by Dominion Voting Systems (the same company that just won a $787.5 million settlement from Fox News), Rudy — like his former boss, recent arrestee Donald Trump — is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Georgia for the many, many lies he told about the results of the 2020 presidential election. Yet even with the walls closing in all around him, the former New York City Mayor doesn’t seem to be losing any sleep over the possible punishments or jail time he could be facing. Instead, he’s thinking about the future — and how he’d make a great secretary of state!

As The Daily News reports, Giuliani made this statement while appearing on Steve Bannon’s podcast, which explains why he seems to be living in a dream world. It was Bannon who started the conversation, and asked Rudy if he would be interested in accepting such a high-ranking position. To which Giuliani initially demurred: “I shouldn’t ask for a job now, right? The boss would get angry. I’m willing to do [whatever] I have to do.”

Not getting indicted would be a great first step for Rudy, and not getting any jail time would be a good thing for Trump’s plans for a second term. But barring either of them being behind bars, Rudy said that he’d be “open” to the idea of serving as secretary of state.

“I really believe I could straighten… out the State Department,” the man who once held a press conference outside a dildo shop stated. “I think it’s the agency of the government, even more than the FBI, that needs to be straightened out first, because it’s us to the world,” he sagely noted.

(Yes, you can laugh now.)

(Via The Daily News)