Month: June 2023

Ex-President Donald Trump’s newest criminal indictment (and we do now live in a world where there’s more than one) has not left the GOP in a graceful state. Rep. Lauren Boebert promptly lashed out, Sen. Lindsey Graham got snippy, and over at Fox News, Brian Kilmeade’s spirit deflated on live TV.

How are the Trump kids doing following news of the Mar-a-Lago bathroom photos? Ivanka has essentially been a vapor trail and has said nothing about her father, several days after the indictment of 37 charges landed. Don Jr., on the other hand, is all too happy to talk. Well, sort-of talk and kind-of listen.

Don Jr. made another one of his bizarre appearances, which in the past has resulted in amped-up Fox News rants and slurry missives that have left people wondering if he needs an intervention. This is not to mention his glassy-eyed, “Motel 6” rant, which really made people wonder how he’s feeling behind the scenes. And now, the eldest boy appeared on his Rumble Triggered program to discuss his dad’s latest legal mess.

In this first clip, posted to the MAGA Inc Room PAC’s Twitter account, Don Jr. looks simply shifty while listening to attorney Kash Patel attempt to discredit Special Counsel Jack Smith due to prior alleged actions by his deputy, Karen Gilbert. Consider this clip to be an appetizer.

The full video appeared on Rumble, and attorney/podcaster Ron Filipkowski posted a zoomed-in snippet, in which Don Jr. seems to be having more a more intense moment. His watery eyes dart around everywhere while he can’t seem to sit still, and he does rub his nose.

Months after The Daily Show spoofed Don Jr. in a certain way, the intervention jokes (which started years ago) simply will not quit.

Fans of Playboi Carti and YoungBoy Never Broke Again are convinced that the two controversial rappers are working on a joint album. The speculation was prompted by Carti making an unexpected return to social media with an Instagram Story post with a photo of YoungBoy wearing an inverted cross pendant on his chain. Sacrilegious symbolism is kind of Carti’s thing, so naturally fans wondered whether YoungBoy rocking the Atlanta genre-bender’s signature iconography — and Carti posting it — was a sign.

Even more evidence of an incoming collaboration appeared on the Instagram profile @jewelryunlimited, where celebrity jeweler Wafi amin Lalani noted the chain and pendant were a gift from Carti to YoungBoy, “ahead of their new collab album.”

The duo had never previously collaborated but both have proven to be very popular among younger hip-hop fans despite aggressive opposition from traditionalists and less-than-sterling histories with women. If the rumor does turn out to be true, it’ll mean that Carti is extra busy working on collaborative projects this year; in March, Lil Uzi Vert teased that they and Carti were also working on a collab project and “about to take over the world.”

Carti is also billed to appear at Rolling Loud Miami and Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash this year, so he’s got a pretty full schedule for 2023. YoungBoy, meanwhile, has raised his proile with a string of big-name collaborations (and beefs) but is currently stuck in Utah on house arrest for the foreseeable future.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got new music from PJ Harvey, Feeble Little Horse, Sharon Van Etten, Pup, and more.

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Fiddlehead — “Sullenboy”

Fiddlehead’s discography is a sprawling exploration of grief and life. 2018’s Springtime And Blind was a colossal masterwork of a debut; 2021’s Between The Richness was an introspective, amplified follow-up. Now, the Boston-based band is back with the announcement of Death Is Nothing To Us, and the lead single “Sullenboy” encapsulates their ambitious post-hardcore greatness. When Patrick Flynn shouts empathetically to replace fear with love, his voice is saturated with hope and understanding.

Feeble Little Horse — Girl With Fish

Singles like “Tin Man” and “Steamroller” were bewitching slices of Feeble Little Horse’s delightfully weird album Girl With Fish. Mixing blared-out indie rock with elements of twang and hyperpop is a formula for success. The record moves mesmerizingly like a medley, floating between captivating sounds, unpredictable.

Pup — “How To Live With Yourself” & “Smoke Screen”

Last year, Pup unleashed the explosive album The Unraveling Of PupTheBand. The punks have returned with B-sides from the mayhem. The infectious melodies, the unhinged instrumentation, the big build-ups are retained on these new songs “How To Live With Yourself” and “Smoke Screen.” The love for Pup is simple — they shred.

Sharon Van Etten — “Quiet Eyes”

Sharon Van Etten’s music has always had a haunting and beautiful texture not unlike an A24 film, so it makes sense that she made a song for Past Lives. “Quiet Eyes” showcases her otherworldly, evocative vocals, while grappling with ideas of longing, loss, and identity.

PJ Harvey — “I Inside The Old And Dying”

“This delicate and beautiful song eluded us until the very last day in the studio,” legend PJ Harvey said about her singular new ballad “I Inside The Old And Dying.” It does sound made up of magic; her voice is angelic. She describes the result as “the ethereal and melancholic longing I was looking for,” and there’s no better way to put it.

Soft Kill — Metta World Peace

Soft Kill’s Canary Yellow was an overlooked gem of last year, released on Halloween and containing some of the best indie-rock earworms you’ll ever hear, like the triumphant “Magic Garden.” They’re already shared another album, the elusive Metta World Peace, which returns to the dark, synth-based sound they started off with. “Trouble” is a highlight, capturing their eerie magic.

The Front Bottoms — “Punching Bag”

The New Jersey-based group The Front Bottoms have been celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their emo classic Talon Of The Hawk. Since then, they’ve been teasing You Are Who You Hang Out With, which draws from that early material by sticking to an intimate, stripped-down sound and detailed lyricism, especially on this vulnerable new track “Punching Bag.”

Lydia Loveless — “Toothache”

Lydia Loveless is back with the announcement of Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again out this fall. The lead single “Toothache” vibrates with the brazen confidence of that album title; her tone is unafraid against a flirty bassline as she sings: “How many times have you said that it’s never too late / What about a heartbreak?”

Wombo — Slab

Wombo are masters in post-punk. This is especially true on the song “Slab.” It explodes with colorful riffs and energetic rhythms, topped off with Sydney Chadwick’s deadpan delivery. However, the rest of the Slab EP explores new territory as they float through softer sounds on “Thread” and “Wolfe Ave 40.”

Restraining Order — “Misled”

Restraining Order’s songs are just bursts of energy — like the unexpected explosion of illicit fireworks or the invigorating feeling of driving well over the speed limit. 2019’s This World Is Too Much remains a hardcore masterpiece, and their new single “Misled,” from their forthcoming record Locked in Time, is a massive supernova.

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

Ice Spice exploded onto the hip-hop scene in August 2022, thanks to her viral song “Munch (Feelin’ U).” In just under a year, the Bronx rapper has landed on the music charts several times, starting with her song “Gangsta Boo.” Ice has also collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, including Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift. The “In Ha Mood” rapper insists she’s not an industry plant in a new interview, asserting that even she’s shell-shocked by her quick rise to fame.

During a recent interview with Teen Vogue, the musician opened up about her thriving career. “I’m most proud of staying grounded so far because I’ve already been through so many things that I know a lot of people would’ve lost their f*cking minds. The whole lifestyle change is super drastic, especially coming from where I come from, not coming from sh*t and not having a lot growing up, to now — it’s the complete opposite…. Even though it’s a positive change, it’s still a change,” remarked the entertainer.

When asked about how she’s handling her sudden popularity, Ice Spice said, “I don’t think anybody is ever fully prepared for fame. There’s no book on how to do it. I feel like everybody could just learn as they go, like most people do in their careers. A lot of people be trying to compare me to people that are way older than me or people that have been in this sh*t way longer than me.”

Well, that was quick… maybe. Just hours after Pat Sajak revealed that he’ll be retiring from Wheel of Fortune, an apparent frontrunner for the new hosting gig has emerged. Ryan Seacrest is reportedly in talks to replace Sajak, who presided over the classic TV game show for over 40 years. However, the Seacrest situation isn’t a done deal yet.

According to Bloomberg reporter Lucas Shaw, Seacrest “has been talking to the producers of Wheel of Fortune. Some sources say he’s the frontrunner. Others say he is just one of many interested.”

As TVLine reports, Seacrest has the experience for the job, and his schedule recently opened up:

Should Seacrest ultimately get the job, he’d certainly have the experience for it: He’s hosted American Idol since its 2002 debut (and stayed with the show when it moved from Fox to ABC), and he just recently ended a six-year stint as co-host of Live With Kelly and Ryan, alongside Kelly Ripa. Seacrest has also presided over the annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special since 2007, among many other TV events.

Presumably, Wheel of Fortune producers are looking to avoid the debacle that occurred with Jeopardy! following the death of beloved longtime host Alex Trebek. The show went through a series of guest hosts before executive producer Mike Richards ultimately named himself as Trebek successor before being forced to step down in a wave of scandal. Wheel of Fortune might be able to avoid all of that by hiring Seacrest and calling it a day.

(Via TVLine)

“I just had chills going through my body,” NCAA National Champion and Roc Nation artist Flau’Jae Johnson said of the moment Louisiana State University won as her song “Big 4” blasted throughout the American Airlines Center with confetti dancing in the air while The Tigers celebrated a historic win.

When the LSU women’s basketball team devastated No. 2 Iowa in the National Championship 102-85 in April, it marked the first time the women’s basketball team ever won a national championship.

“The fact that I’m being recognized for my music as well as my basketball at the highest level, that was a breathtaking moment for me. Both of my lives crossed over how I wanted it to. It was an amazing feeling,” the young guard told Uproxx over the phone. “It felt like a movie.”

The song and moment magically aligned perfectly. “August of last year I recorded that,” she told me about the making of “Big 4.”

“We was in weight training with my team and we always played music on the aux, and my teammate LaDazhia [Williams] played this song and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I was like, “I’mma use this and I’mma rap on it.’ It just came out the way it came. I kept hearing the beat in my head and I didn’t know what it was. Once I figured out what it was, I asked LaDazhia, I’m like, what song is that? I remixed and then I made it my song.”

The 19-year-old Savannah, Georgia student-rapper-athlete credits consistency for her ability to tap into both talents successfully like a real-life Hannah Montana. “I’m a basketball player doing something that’s never been done before,” she told me.

Daughter of Jason “Camoflauge” Johnson, known for his song “Cut Friends” who passed away before she was born in 2003, Flau’jae is merely carrying the torch. Her drive and passion for basketball and music are unmatched.

“I’ve been playing basketball ever since I could walk. So, I’ve been hooping for a long time,” she said of her beginnings. “At a young age I just loved music. At six or seven, I started freestyling in the car and rapping for my mom. I always had an ear for music. Even when I didn’t really know what I was saying.”

On the court, she wears the number 4, which she revealed holds sentimental meaning. “[James] Murdock, who was a huge basketball player in Savannah, got killed and he used to hang around my father. He’s real known in Savannah and he’s hardest player to wear four,” she explained. “So, I was always four and I wear four for Murdock. Rest in peace to him.”

With so much going on in the city of Savannah, Flau’jae’s focus is something like Obi-Wan Kenobi’s — it cannot be broken.

Her basketball and rap interests are fueled by the same thing: “To want to be great,” the rising talent shared. “Wanting to be good at my craft, wanting to excel, wanting to be the best version of myself. That’s the best part. That’s what fuels everything I do. Just wanting to be the best.”

Being a college student-athlete as a freshman at a school like Louisiana State University on the women’s basketball team comes with all kinds of pressure. Pressure from not only the school but from LSU fans across the globe expecting their favorite team to show up with nothing less than a win. I had to ask her the secret to maintaining a smooth state of flow between basketball practices and going to the studio.

“Just being consistent,” she answered. “When I feel like I’m pushing on everything and I’m doing it the right way and I got a schedule lined up, that’s the best way for me to be successful in both areas. Being consistent in that makes everything on track. Me being able to create music when I’m feeling the best way is when I’m being consistent with basketball, music, working out, going to the studio. And, I’m actually doing my big one.”

Flau’jae’s “Big 4” isn’t the only song that’s catching a lot of attention, she also recently remixed Hot 100 hit “Put It On Da Floor” by fellow The Rap Game alum Latto into her own freestyle titled “Clickbait.”

“She told me that she really liked the remix that I did,” she revealed. “She wanted me to get in the video. Hopefully we can make that happen. Latto shows big love.”

Meanwhile, the video for Latto’s official “Put It On Da Floor Again” remix with Cardi B happens to feature a cameo from her teammate Angel Reese thanks to Cardi’s line “I been ballin’ so damn hard, could’ve went to LSU.” She and Reese also made a special appearance in NLE Choppa’s heartwarming music video for “Champions.”

On top of that, Flau’jae’s business-savvy partnership with Roc Nation is evidence that her formula is working.

“I own everything. I own my masters. I got creative control. That’s what I wanted. A deal where I could be in control and be able to write the narrative of how I wanted to, for my story. They understood the vision of me. A lot of people didn’t understand the vision of me being a rapper and an artist and being in college. Roc Nation understood it. They really seen what I could be in the future. I appreciate them.”

Ahead of Flau’jae’s second year as an LSU basketball player, she plans to unleash a collection of songs for an official EP.

“I got my project Basketball World dropping this summer, ‘Big 4 Anthem,’ my song with 2Rare going to drop after that. The music I got out right now, we got ‘Clickbait’ going stupid right now. I’m super excited, man. Stay tapped in.”

Who hosted the 2022 Oscars? You’re forgiven if you didn’t remember that it was Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes. Everything about the ceremony — the hosts, the winners, the fashion — was overshadowed by The Slap. Heard of it? Maybe those Oscars would have been more memorable if Schumer had been allowed to tell her joke about the Alec Baldwin movie Rust.

“I want to preface these Oscar jokes by saying that my lawyer said not to say these,” the comedian said during a stand-up show the week after the ceremony. “Don’t tell anybody and don’t get mad at me. ’Don’t Look Up’ is the name of a movie? More like don’t look down the barrel of Alec Baldwin’s shotgun.” Schumer took another shot at Baldwin, so to speak, in her new comedy special, Emergency Contact, which she filmed last December.

“Hilaria from España is actually Hillary from Boston. This woman is in no way Spanish — her parents are not from Spain, no one in her life is from Spain. I’m not trying to bully a sociopath,” she said, according to Variety. Schumer continued, “My point is that all evidence points to this woman, since she met her husband, has straight-up pretended to be from Spain, and her husband shot someone. Now stay with me, stay with me… my point is that neither of them give a f*ck.”

Emergency Contact is available on Netflix now.

(Via Variety)

In 2022, Nicki Minaj suggested she was considering getting breast reduction surgery. In an Instagram Live session, she said, “Can you please let these people know how my boobs is mad big and makes me… If their purpose were to feed the baby… now the baby is fed. Now technically in the eyes of god, in the eyes of man. I can do whatever I want with my titties.” After referencing a breast reduction, Minaj continued, “But, I mean, will people see me differently if I go to an A-cup?” The other person in the conversation asked if she’s want to go down to that size, and Minaj quickly responded, “Yes.”

Now, it appears Minaj has gone through with the surgery.

Over the weekend, Minaj shared a video teasing her and Ice Spice’s upcoming song for the Barbie movie, a new take on “Barbie Girl.” The selfie video offers several looks of Minaj’s body. She doesn’t address her breasts in the video or its caption, but in a comment on the post, she wrote, “New boobs who dis? [melting face emoji].”

Meanwhile, Minaj is optimistic about the rest of the year, having said recently, “NM5 is the best thing that will come out of 2023 & will raise the bar to new & unreachable heights. NM5 tour will be hailed as ‘genius’. That’s it & that’s all.”

A co-sign from Drake raises the profile of any rising musician. On the other hand, sports fans tremble when the “Search & Rescue” rapper pours his support behind their favorite teams. However, Drake’s NBA Finals bet win netted the rapper nearly a million dollars as the Denver Nuggets sidestepped the “Drake Curse.”

Yesterday, the team pulled out the Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat with the final score of 94 to 89. The musician took to Instagram to share his bets on the game. He shared two that he placed, both on June 1.

The first bet was that the series would be wrapped up in five games, with the Nuggets winning four games to Miami’s one. That bet cost $250K and would net a total return of $850K. Secondly, he bet $1 million on the Nuggets to win outright. The payout for this bet brought in $1.23 million. So, overall, Drake walked away $830K richer.

The championship is the first ever for the Nuggets, which started as an ABA team back in 1967. So, the win was a huge moment for Denver, but it seemed like star center Nikola Jokic was pretty quickly ready to move on: When he was informed that the team’s championship parade was still a few days away, he seemed genuinely bummed, saying, “No, I have to go home.”

As Donald Trump prepares for an arraignment hearing in Miami on Tuesday, the former president has run into a problem of his own making: No one wants to join his legal team.

Trump is staring down a damning indictment from the federal government filled with intricate details about his alleged mishandling of classified documents. The charges involve audio recordings, photos of top secret documents being stored in a bathroom, and testimony from Trump’s former attorneys who were compelled to testify after the special counsel secured a crime-fraud exception. Whoever represents the former president will have their work cut out for them, and Trump is not getting any takers.

According to The Guardian, Trump and his current legal team spent Monday afternoon attempting to secure a local attorney for the Miami arraignment, but “several attorneys” declined the offer. To the surprise of no one, Trump’s reputation has preceded him:

Part of the problem of recruiting new lawyers has been Trump’s reputation for being a notoriously difficult client who has a record of declining legal advice and seeking to have his lawyers act as attack dogs or political aides rather than attorneys bound by ethics rules, people close to the process said.

The other concern for the top lawyers in Florida being contacted by Trump’s advisers has been the perceived reputational damage that could come from defending the former president, the people said, not just because of his politics but also because of the strength of the indictment, which could potentially lead to years in prison.

Not only is Trump unable to find a local attorney for the Florida proceedings, but The Guardian reports that he’s yet to obtain a “specialist national security lawyer” who can obtain a security clearance to navigate the Espionage Act charges lobbied against the former president. We’re no legal experts, but it sounds Trump is going to need one of those.

(Via The Guardian)