Month: August 2023

Travis Scott may not have been able to perform at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt as he wanted to, but we now know when he plans to bring live performances of his new album Utopia to fans stateside, courtesy of the Circus Maximus Tour. The tour begins in late September in Chicago and crosses North America, touching down in Boston, Atlanta, Travis’ native Houston, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and more before wrapping up in Miami.

The Circus Maximus Tour will be Scott’s first since the Astroworld: Wish You Were Here Tour in 2018-19 with Gunna, Sheck Wes, and Trippie Redd, as well as his first since the Astroworld Festival tragedy. With the fallout from the latter still looming over his head, all eyes will likely be on this tour, hoping for the best.

09/25/2023 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/27/2023 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
09/29/2023 — East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
10/01/2023 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/04/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
10/08/2023 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
10/11/2023 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
10/12/2023 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
10/14/2023 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
10/17/2023 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
10/19/2023 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
10/21/2023 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
10/23/2023 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
10/26/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
10/28/2023 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
10/30/2023 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
11/04/2023 — Inglewood, CA @ SoFi Stadium
11/07/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
11/09/2023 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
11/12/2023 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
11/18/2023 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center ATX
11/24/2023 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
11/27/2023 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center

Just to put a point on how damaging the federal indictments against Donald Trump are, his vast cadre of shady attorneys have been scooped up by the government and could possibly face indictments of their own. Rudy Giuliani is obviously one of the big names, but so is Trump’s former attorney John Eastman, who allegedly helped engineer the efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Those efforts culminated in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, which Eastman tried to blame on, we kid you not, Mike Pence.

Following the unsealing of Trump’s third indictment, Eastman was identified as one of the unnamed co-conspirators “who devised and attempted to implement a strategy” to have Pence decertify the election. However, Eastman has yet to receive a target letter, but his lawyer Charles Burham stopped by The Beat with Ari Melber where he didn’t do his client any favors.

When asked by Melber if he accepts the fact that Trump lost the 2020 election, Burham refused to answer the question and repeatedly deflected Melber’s attempts to get him to admit Trump’s defeat.

Via Huffpost:

“Well, there’s a large portion of the country that has issues with the 2020 election. There are still discussion about things that went on,” Burnham replied.

“Large portion the country believes in ghosts or horoscopes,” Melber shot back. “I’m asking you, do you accept the results of the election that Donald Trump lost?”

Burnham dodged again.

“I’m just here as an attorney representing a client. But the important thing is,” he continued, as Melber interrupted.

The MSNBC host tried one more time to no avail. “I want to give you the opportunity to answer,” Melber said. “It’s a very easy question to answer. If you can’t answer it, I’ve got other questions.”

Burham still refused to say Trump lost and simply said “personal opinions are neither here nor there.”

(Via Huffpost)

Even 43 seconds of Ben Shapiro’s 43-minute prediction that Barbie would flop (lol) was painful to sit through, but at least it was tucked away on his YouTube channel where it could be easily ignored. That is not the case with Bill Maher‘s “pathetic” review of Barbie, which he tweeted to his millions of followers. No tweet should be over 50 words, let alone 350, which is how long the Real Time host spent whining about Greta Gerwig’s “preachy, man-hating” film.

“OK, Barbie: I was hoping it wouldn’t be preachy, man-hating, and a #ZombieLie – alas, it was all three,” Maher began. What is a “zombie lie”? “Something that never was true, but certain people refuse to stop saying it (tax cuts for the rich increase revenues, e.g.); OR something that USED to be true but no longer is, but certain people pretend it’s still true. Barbie is this kind of #ZombieLie.” A made-up term formatted as a hashtag? Off to a great start.

Maher, who will soon prove that he doesn’t understand satire, continued, “Spoiler alert, Barbie fights the Patriarchy. Right up to the Mattel board who created her, consisting of 12 white men! The Patriarchy! Except there’s a Mattel board in real life, and it’s 7 men and 5 women. OK, not perfect even-steven, but not the way the board IN THE MOVIE – which takes place in 2023 – is portrayed. And not really any longer deserving of the word ‘patriarchy.’ Yes, there was one, and remnants of it remain – but this movie is so 2000-LATE.”

Imagine you’re having a great time watching Barbie in a theater, until you feel a tap on your leg from the person sitting next to you. It’s Bill Maher. He leans over to whisper, “There’s actually seven men and five women on the Mattel board.” You get up and move to a different seat. Also, no one says “2000-late.”

I know, I know, ‘How could I know about the patriarchy, I AM a man!’ That argument is so old and so silly. Of course, none of us can know exactly what others go through life, but I can see the world around me, and I can read data. The real Mattel board is a pretty close mirror of the country, where 45% of the 449 board seats filled last year in Fortune 500 companies were women. Truth is, I’m not the one who’s out of step – I’m living in the year we’re living in.

Shockingly, Maher admitted that he “enjoyed” Barbie, but “it IS a #ZombieLie. And people who don’t go along with zombie lies did not take some red pill – just staying true to CURRENT reality. Let’s live in the year we’re living in!” He’s basically the meme of Principal Skinner asking if he’s out of touch. No, it’s the woke mob that is wrong.

(Via Twitter/Bill Maher)

Drake’s fatherhood has been called into question by Pusha T in his now infamous diss track “The Story Of Adidon.” Even users on TikTok raised an eyebrow after the “Search & Rescue” rapper joked about not knowing how much his son, Adonis Graham, weighed at the time of his birth. However, Drake hasn’t been fazed by the critics. He’s put his love for his son on full display by tattooing Adonis’ name on the back of his neck.

In photos shared by HipHopDX, Drake debuted the new body art while hanging out with friends. This isn’t the first inked piece dedicated to his curled hair cutie.

In 2019, Drake showcased an expertly crafted portrait of Adonis on his right forearm. The musicians added the mural to his already massive string of images of his family members on his body. In 2014, Drake inked a picture of his father, Dennis Graham, to which he returned the sentiments in 2017 with a tattoo dedicated to Drake on his upper shoulder.

Drake also has detailed illustrations of his maternal grandmother, uncle, and mother tattooed on his back.

But Drake’s tattoo of his son’s name isn’t the only new ink the musician was spotted with. The entertainer also tattooed his mother’s first and middle initial, SG (for Sandra Gale), on his face.

Lil Baby recently opened a restaurant in his native Atlanta serving fish and shrimp, but one customer was less than impressed. A woman who posted a negative review of the establishment to TikTok prompted a reply from the restaurant, which said it appreciated the feedback, but cast some doubt on the video’s veracity. The video, which went viral on both TikTok and Instagram, according to TMZ, can be seen below.

In response, the restaurant’s management told TMZ, “Seafood Menu greatly appreciates all feedback, regardless of its nature, as it contributes to the continuous improvement of our customer service. We recently became aware of a video circulating on social media, which appears to depict a to-go order from our opening day. However, we are unable to verify the timing of the video in relation to the food order. It’s worth noting that our opening day saw an impressive turnout of over 2,000 patrons, with nearly 99% of reviews being positive. While we regret not having the chance to directly address this concern, we remain dedicated to enhancing our services and serving our underserved community to the best of our ability.”

Lil Baby’s far from the first rapper to run into some bumps in the road to becoming a restaurateur. In 2020, another Atlanta rapper, 2 Chainz, was sued by the estate of Pablo Escobar for naming his restaurant after the infamous drug dealer, while earlier this year, Memphis rapper Yo Gotti’s restaurant was the site of a deadly shooting.

Happy August! As one of pop’s top producers, Max Martin, once said, “Pop music follows the evolution of society in general: Everything moves faster.” The new releases this week are just as fast-paced and bubbly as the summer should be — adding to an already stacked list of talented musicians with tunes this year. We are just happy to be sharing them with you, and hope it makes the outside world slow down for a moment.

Continue scrolling for Uproxx’s Best New Pop roundup.

Doja Cat – “Paint The Town Red”

Doja Cat has returned, ushering fans into her new (and headline-making) era with “Paint The Town Red.” Relying on a catchy chorus and some rapping, Doja tackles the struggles of fame before ultimately leaning fully into it. “I’d rather be famous instead,” she bluntly admits.

Bebe Rexha, David Guetta — “One In A Million”

Bebe Rexha and David Guetta aren’t strangers to collaborating, with “One In A Million” being the latest in the duo’s string of hits. Rexha relies on the rarity of romance, as Guetta pairs it with an electronic beat. “Maybe I met you for a reason / And I can’t believe that we’re both alive at the same time,” she sings.

Kali Uchis — “Muñekita”

For Kali Uchis’ “Muñekita,” she brought along City Girls’ JT and El Alfa for the ride. While it might seem like a unique pairing, that was Uchis’ full intention — and it worked out well. As she pointed out in a statement, she wanted to create a “fun, sexy song” and succeeded.

Itzy — “Cake”

Fans are loving Itzy‘s new mini album, and they also have “Cake” now to hold them over. The sweet, lighthearted track comes complete with the band’s engaging choreography in a video — where they also rock matching outfits.

XG — “TGIF”

An equally fun K-Pop entry on this week’s list, XG’s “TGIF” is a carefree and empowering new addition that’s perfectly-titled to join any weekend playlist. “When I’m with my ladies, oh, the party don’t stop / And we don’t need no fire ’cause we already hot,” the track opens.

Lauv — “Love U Like That”

“I’m so insanely proud of this new song because it marks the beginning of a new era for me,” Lauv described “Love U Like That,” adding that it is “A song about realizing you’re into something you didn’t think you were into and empowering yourself to go for it and not judge yourself and let society or ideas sway you from it. It’s the beginning of a journey, it’s a proud start.”

Jai Wolf, Banks — “Don’t Look Down”

Anything that Banks touches is sure to be great — and this new collab with Jai Wolf on “Don’t Look Down” is no exception. The spacey, electronic track lets her vocals take center stage, as it truly builds to a rollercoaster of a chorus. (Something the visualizer also conveys.)

Tones And I — “The Greatest”

“’The Greatest’ encapsulates the power of strong women. When writing the track, I wanted to create something that would make females feel empowered and courageous. I’m proud to be a woman, and I’m constantly inspired by them,” Tones And I said about “The Greatest.”

Savana Santos — “Cheater”

While Savana Santos’ voice on “Cheater” gives off a calming presence over the guitar line, she lyrically flips the script to take accountability as the cheater in the relationship. “I’m in love with the old you,” she confesses.

Ari Abdul — “Make Me Cry” (feat. Deadbeat Girl)

“Are you not amused?” Ari Abdul asks the listeners through the heavy electronic beat. The track with Deadbeat Girl finds the pair’s voices trading verses, causing someone to point out in the comments that this collab does not disappoint.

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

Colorado is a haven for great craft beer. The good brewers of Rocky Mountain State have been at the forefront of micro-brewing for decades now. They’ve helped create and cement some of the biggest trends in the American beer scene since the 1990s to right now. Part of that heritage is with the American IPA brewed with malted barleys, hopped with funky hops, and made with that iconic Rocky Mountain water. Since Colorado is such a great spot for crafty and, honestly, now mainstream American IPAs, I thought it was high time to call out some of our absolute favorites.

Below, I’m calling out eight Colorado IPAs that you absolutely need to try. I’m not keeping it to one specific style of IPA either because where’s the fun in that? Colorado has huge brewing regions, especially in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Fort Collins that all have micro-cultures therein. That makes Colorado great for West Coast IPAs, doubles, triples, hazies, New England, and every type of hybrid you can think of.

Okay, let’s get into the piney, floral, fruity, malty, and hoppy IPAs being brewed a mile high out in Colorado. My advice is to read my tasting notes, find the IPA that speaks to you, and then hit that price link to see if you grab a sixer in your neck of the woods.

8) Ska Modus Hoperandi

ABV: 6.8%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This Colorado IPA is referred to as “old-man bitter”. Brewed with Centennial, Cascade, and Columbus hops, it’s known for its hoppy, fairly bitter flavor profile featuring a lot of resinous pine and citrus (specifically grapefruit).

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find grapefruit and pine. That’s about it though. There’s more of the same on the palate with dank pine needles and grapefruit taking center stage with some sweet, bready malts in the background.

Bottom Line:

If you like pine and grapefruit with hoppy bitterness at the finish, this is a great IPA for you.

7) Avery Maharaja

ABV: 10%

Average Price: $20 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This imperial IPA is brewed with a “deranged” number of hops. This includes Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial, and Chinook hops in the kettle and dry-hopped with Idaho 7, Vic Secret, and more Simcoe hops. It’s well-known for its mix of malt sweetness and floral citrus hops.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is classic IPA with a ton of dank pine and citrus peels. Not much else is discernable though. The palate has a lot of candied orange peel, caramel malt, and pine flavors. The high alcohol content is very noticeable and the finish is floral and bitter.

Bottom Line:

Avery Maharaja is a big and bold beer.

6) Upslope IPA

ABV: 7.2%

Average Price: $13 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Known for its mix of caramel malts and aromatic and flavorful hops, this classic IPA is brewed with Amarillo, Cascade, Simcoe, and Columbus hops. This beer ticks all the boxes of citrus, pine, caramel, and the expected IPA bitterness.

Tasting Notes:

Scents of pine needles, lemongrass, citrus peels, caramel, and wildflowers greet you before your first sip. The palate, while not as complex as the nose, features caramel malts, pine needles, and bright citrus. The finish is dry, bitter, and memorable.

Bottom Line:

This is a great choice if you enjoy classic, dry, bitter IPAs. It won’t knock your socks off with any of its flavors, but it just works.

5) Odd13 Codename: Superfan

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This take on the classic American IPA is brewed with Simcoe, Citra, Amarillo, and Equinox hops. The recipe is rounded out with Rahr 2-Row, Flaked Wheat, Weyermann Carafoam malts. It was created to be a beer for the super fans and this is exactly what it is.

Tasting Notes:

This hazy IPA begins with a fruity, citrus-driven nose of caramelized pineapple, tangerine, guava, mango, and floral hops. There’s more of the same (in the best way possible) on the palate with fresh squeezed orange juice, tangerine, mango, peach, and grassy, floral, herbal, piney hops. The finish is sweet and gently hoppy.

Bottom Line:

If you enjoy hazy juicy IPAs, you need to add this beer to your must-try list. It might not be the most balanced hazies ever made, but it leans into the tropical fruit in a big way.

4) Odell Myrcenary Double IPA

ABV: 9.3%

Average Price: $14 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Odell is a big name in the craft beer world. One of its best beers is Odell Myrcenary. It gets its name from “myrcene”, a part of the essential oils that are found in the hop flower. Brewed with hops with a ton of myrcene, this popular beer is known for its floral, piney, citrus-filled aroma and flavor.

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. Tangerine, orange peel, ripe grapefruit, peach, mango, pineapple, and caramel malts are big. Drinking it reveals a nice caramel backbone propped up by more mango, passionfruit, tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, and a ton of dank pine. The finish is bitter, dry, and leaves you craving more.

Bottom Line:

This is a very well-rounded IPA. The caramel malt backbone holds up well with the tropical fruit, citrus, and bitterness of the hops included.

3) Outer Range In The Steep

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $18 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

This popular New England-style IPA gets its flavor from being double dry-hopped exclusively with Citra hops. The result is a hazy juicy IPA loaded with tropical fruit and ripe citrus flavors. There’s a reason it’s one of the highest-rated IPAs coming out of Colorado.

Tasting Notes:

A complex nose of honeydew melon, caramelized pineapple, raspberries, grapefruit, and mango give way to floral, resinous hops. The palate is juicy, and velvety and has notes of caramel malts, ripe pineapple, mango, berries, grapefruit juice, and a gentle kiss of herbal pine at the finish with very little bitterness.

Bottom Line:

Sometimes New England-style IPAs lean a little heavily on the fruity, juicy aspect. This one doesn’t. It’s sublimely well-balanced.

2) Weldwerks Juicy Bits

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $18 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

There are few Colorado IPAs more well-known than Weldweks Juicy Bits. The Greeley, Colorado brewery’s flagship IPA is brewed with El Dorado, Citra, and Mosaic hops, giving it a glut of tropical fruit and citrus flavor.

Tasting Notes:

This beer smells like a freshly squeezed glass of orange juice and that’s the point. On top of ripe oranges, there are notes of mango, peach, grapefruit, and pineapple as well as sweet wheat and caramel malts. The palate is very similar with a ton of orange zest, grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, melon, berries, and a nice hint of floral, lightly bitter hops at the finish.

Bottom Line:

This beer is called Juicy Bits for a reason. While still maintaining the dry, hoppy properties of an IPA, it also has flavors like a pulpy glass of orange juice.

1) Station 26 Juicy Banger

ABV: 7.4%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Station 26’s flagship beer is aptly named Juicy Banger IPA. Brewed with Centennial, Citra, and Mosaic hops as well as Root Shoot Malting Genie Pale malt, it’s known for its mix of juicy flavors including ripe peach, mango, papaya, honey, and floral, earthy hops.

Tasting Notes:

Citrus peels, passionfruit, peach, tangerine, and floral hops make up a very welcoming nose. The palate continues this trend with flavors of peach, lemongrass, grapefruit, guava, caramel malts, and lightly bitter, floral, earthy, piney hops. The finish is dry and refreshing.

Bottom Line:

Proving that it’s difficult to beat a well-made juicy IPA, Station 26 Juicy Banger is definitely a beer you should add to your go-to list.

While BTS is still on an indefinite hiatus as the members complete their mandatory military service, that hasn’t stopped those who are available from pursuing creative endeavors as solo artists.

The latest to do so is V, who has now announced that he has a debut album on the way. His label, BigHit, revealed that the record is titled Layover and will arrive in September.

Fans can expect six songs on it, including a piano version of the standout track, “Slow Dancing.” The song was described as one with a “1970s romantic soul style” which “exudes a laid-back and free-spirited feeling.”

BigHit states that “Love Me Again” is a “captivating R&B track that highlights V’s low pitch voice,” and “For Us” is the album’s closer, being a “pop R&B track that serves as an epilogue, stirring up deep emotions with V’s vocals and unique lyrics.”

According to a press release, the label also is encouraging BTS Army to listen to V’s album in order. They will also each have a corresponding music video.

Continue scrolling for the complete Layover tracklist.

1. “Rainy Days”
2. “Blue”
3. “Love Me Again”
4. “Slow Dancing”
5. “For Us”
6. “Slow Dancing” (Piano Version)

Layover is out 9/8 via BigHit. Find more information here.

Over the past couple of years, as revenue from streaming and touring slowed down, artists have found plenty of alternative streams of income — including fan-based content platforms with racy reputations, like OnlyFans. Among the artists who’ve joined the platform are Iggy Azalea, who said she is “making so much money” on the platform, and Bhad Bhabie, who reportedly pulled in a ludicrous sum in her first year. Now, a new name is joining a similar platform, as Icy Girl Saweetie announces the launch of her own account on competing service, Fansly.

She announced the launch of her Fansly account via Instagram, as well as with a press release. In the attached statement, she said, “I’m so hyped to team up with Fansly and give my loyal ICY GIRLS a peek into my world like never before. We’re about to bring the fire and empower creators to connect with their fans on a whole new level. Brace yourselves for some spicy content, baby!”

While that content is probably not what some fans are hoping for — after all, no other star has yet gone quite so far — the extra cash could come in handy as Saweetie continues to work on her long-awaited, recently renamed debut album and tour with new boo YG and his Compton brethren Tyga. She apparently teased the move at this weekend’s fight between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz in Las Vegas, making her debut as a ring girl. It should probably be noted that while Fansly and OnlyFans have a reputation for explicit content, neither is technically considered an adults-only site, with creators free to post whatever content they like — within guidelines, of course.

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

It’s been a minute since David Ayer’s original version of Suicide Squad, a.k.a. the “Ayer Cut,” has been a hot topic of discussion, so it was surprising to see the director recently offer an update on the seemingly mythical piece of cinema.

Thanks to the divisive release of the Justice League Snyder Cut, which was born out of necessity to populate the burgeoning HBO Max with content amidst the pandemic, the Ayer Cut had some wind its sails as DC Comics fans were eager to see the original cut of both films. The two were interconnected, even more so after Snyder filmed new scenes with Jared Leto’s Joker. However, another regime change at Warner Bros. killed momentum for the Ayer Cut, and the chance of it seeing the light of day seemingly faded.

Well, not entirely, according to Ayer. The director gave fans an update on Monday where he claimed that new DC Studios head James Gunn assured him that the original Suicide Squad cut will have its time in the sun.

Via Twitter:

Have you ever had an experience in life that didn’t until the way you wanted, that dragged you, that made you rethink everything? I have.

All I know is my unseen film plays much better than the studio release. The interest in my cut being show seems real and organic. And Gunn told me it would have it’s time to be shared. He absolutely deserves to launch to launch his DC universe without more drama about old projects.

Ayer concluded his update by writing, “In a way I’m chained to this thing. I’m riding a tiger here and navigating this situation the best I can. Life is a very strange journey.”

You can see Ayer’s full statement below:

(Via David Ayer on Twitter)