Month: September 2023

The first full week of the college football season began with a small slate on Thursday night, and with Utah dominating Florida, a rock fight between Nebraska and Minnesota took center stage. After Minnesota took an early 3-0 lead, the two teams traded punts and turnovers for the rest of the half, but the Huskers jumped out to a 7-3 lead early in the third quarter on a botched trick play that still yielded a wide open touchdown pass from Jeff Sims.

From there, again, the two teams traded punts and turnovers as neither team was willing to take control of the action. Nebraska had multiple chances to pull away, but could only tack on three points to make their lead a full seven. That is a problem because the Huskers entered the night 2-13 in their last 15 one score games — a large reason the Scott Frost era ended. When they fumbled the ball back to Minnesota at midfield in the late fourth quarter, you could sense a “not again” feel from Nebraska and, sure enough, those fears were realized in the most painful way possible.

After a near touchdown ended up being incomplete after the receiver was just a bit overextended to keep his foot down, Minnesota faced a 4th and 10 deep in Nebraska territory with under three minutes to play. Naturally, Athan Kaliakmanis found Daniel Jackson for an early contender for catch of the year, as he somehow was able to catch the ball, keep his front foot up in the air while dragging the toes on his back foot for an unbelievable touchdown.

It really is some of the best foot control you will see all season, as it’s college so you just need the one foot down and he manages to just barely get those puppies to the turf before his front foot hits — with a little help from the turf rubber flying to prove, without a doubt, it was dragging.

Still, Nebraska had a chance to drive for the game-winning score and avoid overtime, and Sims led them to midfield before disaster struck again and he threw his second interception of the night to Tyler Nubin (the first of which ended a red zone trip in the end zone).

From there, Minnesota would drive into field goal range, and then back out of field goal range on a sack followed by a false start, setting up 3rd and 13. With one timeout left, they opted to hand the ball off up the middle, catching Nebraska off guard and picking up 11 to send Dragan Kesich out for a 47-yard attempt to win the game. After a timeout to ice him, Kesich (who had narrowly missed from 54 earlier in the night) drilled the kick to send the home fans home happy and hand Nebraska yet another single digit loss.

It was perfect Big Ten West football, featuring a lot of excellent defensive plays, a handful of eye-popping offensive plays in between truly terrible decision-making, and a game-winning kick that was preceded by Gus Johnson reading off the kicker’s recruiting profile. A perfect way to start the season, and hopefully just the first of many incredibly dumb and entertaining games across college football.

Two of the hottest in the game right now have linked up for a double dose of magic. Tonight (September 1), rappers JID and Lil Yachty dropped a two-track EP, titled BlakkBoyz present Half Doin Dope/Van Gogh. On the new project is a track called “Van Gogh,” where the two heavy hitters go back and forth, rapping with the ease of a paintbrush on a canvas.

“The hardest thing for me is stayin’ composed / ‘Cause killin’ sh*t is really all that I know / Funeral goes, casket closed / The choir sings, the pastor goes,” raps JID on the song’s opening verse.

The song gently flows into Yachty’s verse, on which, he brags about an exciting year he’s had, while reminding everyone of the quick-witted bars that made him such a promising act.

“Couldn’t dent the Ferrari, sh*t feel like a coffin / I use the codeine without coughin’, I sleep without tossin’ / She call me daddy ’cause I’m bossin’ / I had a show in two cities, call me Dallas Austin / When I talk, I’m flossin’,” raps Yachty.

The song boasts four verses, and the two artists showcase their undeniable musical chemistry with each other over the course of the song.

You can listen to “Van Gogh” above.

Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Nelly Furtado have teamed up in a reunion for the ages. On their new collaboration, “Keep Going Up,” the trio maintains the undeniable chemistry which kept a hold on us through the mid-aughts. In 2006, Tim produced the bulk of Furtado’s Loose album and Timberlake’s FutureSex / LoveSounds album. The following year, the three collaborated on a song called “Give It To Me.” With their latest, the collaborators and longtime friends pick up right where they left off — only this time, they’re happier and better than ever.

Over the course of “Keep Going Up,” Tim delivers on fresh sounds and ad-libs, while Furtado, who has been away from the musical spotlight for a while, lets us know what she’s been up to.

“I’ve been working on my gains lately / I’ve been loving myself, from the daily / Had to cut some people off, the were draining,” sings Furtado on her verse.

Timberlake then drops in, noting his happiness and overall reinvigorated mood.

“I’ve been on new energy, it’s contagious / I kept tryna hide it, but can’t contain it / This life keeps going up and I can’t explain it,” he sings on his verse.

According to a press statement accompanied by the song’s release, the song precedes a new EP from Timbaland, which will drop later this year.

You can listen to “Keep Going Up” above.

Denim Tears Founder Tremaine Emory has officially left his role as creative director at Supreme, citing “systemic racial issues the company has” as his primary reason for departing the brand. The news first broke Tuesday morning after Complex reported that sources had told the publication that Supreme’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection would be the last under Emory’s creative direction, though at the time a reason for the departure had not been disclosed.

As covered in a subsequent report from Complex, this morning Business of Fashion published an article — based on a copy of Emory’s resignation letter they had acquired — stating that Emory’s exit revolved around senior management’s “inability” to provide “full visibility” on the reasons behind the alleged cancellation of an upcoming collaboration with the visual artist Arthur Jafa, something that brought Emory a great deal of distress and led to his belief that “systematic racism” within the brand was to blame.

A statement provided by Supreme to BoF said that the brand “strongly” disagrees with Emory’s characterization of the company. After the reports by both Complex and BoF, Emory took to his Instagram account to clear the air on the specifics behind his departure and share the receipts of his conversations with Supreme’s higher-ups, pushing back on brand’s statement calling it a “lie to hide the systemic racism that lies deep within Supreme and almost all white Owned corporations.”

What Happened?

Emory, who was installed as Supreme’s first creative director in February of this year, claims on his personal Instagram that he had resigned weeks ago, writing that he had “fought tooth and nail into the 25th hour with C suite of Supreme to align with them on a statement to the press explaining that I left Supreme because of systemic racial issues the company,” citing both the collaboration with Arthur Jafa and the “make up of the design studio that has less than 10% minorities working when the brand is largely based off black culture.”

Emory states that he could not “align on a statement” that didn’t cite “systemic racism” and says he was asked to tell Complex “a racist incident didn’t happen and if they report that we can’t put out a statement with you because that will be the story.” Something Emory refused to do.

What Sparked The Resignation?

In a subsequent post, Emory shared a screenshot of a conversation he had with Supreme founder James Jebbia, writing “The Tuesday after I resigned James Jebbia pulled up to my crib and we talked about why I resigned.” The screenshot appears to show that Jebbia and Emory parted on good terms. Emory writes in the Instagram caption”

James admitted he should have talked to me about canceling images from the Jafa collaboration because one of the few black employees (who ironically has quite Supreme before I did partially because of his treatment due to systemic issues by Supreme… his words not mine) in the design studio didn’t think that we should be putting out this collaboration because of the depiction of black men being hung and the freed slave Gordon pictured with his whip lashes on his back. James agreed there should have been discourse about the project with me being that I was the creative director and I’m black.

Fair point, it’s hard to see why Supreme would make a decision to cut a collection without speaking with its creative director — though Supreme claims the Arthur Jafa collection has not actually been canceled in its statement to BoF.

Here again, Emory pushes back — claiming that Supreme’s statement in the BoF article was a lie intended to hide the systemic racism “that lies deep within Supreme,” and that he wanted to “work with Supreme to change these things and instead… told I was racially charged, emotional, and using the wrong forum by bringing up systemic racism in a meeting when I was asked if we should work with a black female artist whilst this Jafa project was secretly shutdown without anyone talking to me.”

Writing point blank that “That’s why” he resigned from his role. Emory claims that Jebbia agreed with his points and says he’s going to “change Supreme… He’s gotta stand on what he said to me and the whole C suite and head of design gotta stand on what was said.”

What’s Next?

Emory’s tenure with Supreme may be over, but the designer will continue the work he started with his label Denim Tears, a brand that has made a name for itself with its unique use of storytelling revolving around and highlighting the African diaspora. Emory once referred to Denim Tears as “Supreme for Black people,” in a 2020 interview with RSVP Gallery.

We imagine this will have a major effect on Supreme going forward, the brand has been waning in influence since it was acquired by VF Corp in 2020, and losing its first creative director over allegations of systemic racism ingrained in the company culture… is not a good look for the brand. Its recent Spring/Summer 2022 and Fall/Winter 2022 collections, the first headed by Emory, represented a return to form for the brand in the opinion of many fans of the label.

Still, Emory’s work with Supreme, as well as his decision to support the yet-unseen Jafa collaboration, isn’t without its criticism. Many on Instagram pushed back against Emory’s accusations against the label, one fan under the name “Velassic” wrote, “I’m a fan of Tremaine, but I think he should’ve kept that collab, imagery and story for his own Denim Tears brand that’s more centered around those themes, realistically Supreme has no business telling that story and profiting off it.”

Another, Bbasedjane” wrote, “I’m sorry but you need to sit down and critically examine why you thought it was a good or ‘radical’ idea to sell images of black bodies being hung and whipped on clothing items that will be mostly worn by white people… racism is readily present in all aspects of this world, especially corporate settings, so I will not deny that you endured hardships during your tenure… that aside, this collaboration sounded like a terrible idea and I’m proud of that other black employee who found the courage to push back on its release.”

For now, Emory seems done sharing his side of the story regarding Supreme, in his latest post, he released images from his upcoming Denim Tears release, writing “Anyway back to the program…”

Tremaine Emory’s impact and popularity are unlikely to be negatively impacted by his departure — the designer has launched successful collaborations with the likes of Stüssy, Dior, Converse, Asics, Levis, and READYMADE, to name just a few. His skill and acumen aren’t up for debate. How Supreme recovers from losing its first creative director, accusations of systemic racism, and its overall faltering cultural relevance remains to be seen.

While Martin Scorsese has done a few fictional tales ( who could forget Hugo) he’s back in the genre he knows best: crime dramas based on real-life stories. The director is once again teaming up with his partner in crime, Leonardo Dicaprio, for the long-awaited adaption of David Grann’s nonfiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.

The upcoming film will have an impressively long runtime (longer than our boy Oppenheimer!) and stars DiCaprio alongside the stacked cast of Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemmons, Tattoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a very real story, based on the 1921 murders of Osage members Anna Brown and Charles Whitehorn, which then caused a chain of events that took the lives of over two dozen people, known as the “Reign of Terror.” A young woman named Molly Burkhart brought the case to the Bureau of Investigation, which then became the FBI, led by Director J. Edgar Hoover. The Osage murders became the FBI’s first major homicide investigation.

Scorsese’s movie centers on Burkhart and her family and husband Ernest (DiCaprio) and FBI agent Tom White (Plemmons) as he investigates the mysteries surrounding the community and the family. The director reportedly worked with Osage historians in order to accurately tell the story, and changed the focus of the film from an FBI origin story to the experiences of the Osage people. As the story unfolds, the secrets of Ernest and his uncle William Hale (De Niro) are revealed, which causes a chain reaction in the community.

Killers of the Flower Moon hits theaters on October 20th, before heading to AppleTV+ at a later date.

(Via EW)

Many would easily forgo a trip to Disneyland in favor of a day at the magical, budget-friendly world of Costco.

There’s a distinct type of thrill at being able to bulk buy anything the heart desires—clothing, foods both general and niche, electronics, a tub of Nutella you could literally bathe in—all while being offered delicious samples. It’s as though you’ve entered the marketplace of a foreign land, and everyone knows you’re royalty.

And considering that birthday parties are often a time for people to treat themselves like kings and queens, is it really any wonder that someone decided to create their very own Costco-themed soirée?

Maybe not, but seeing how it comes together is still pretty spectacular.

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Jasmine Pak decided to merge the celebration of her 28th go around the sun with her love of the discount retailer, featuring so much more than its well-known food items—though there was a lot of that.

First up, the culinary star of the show—a birthday cake, the stuff of Costco legend (with an equally legendary ordering process). Followed by “food court icons” like pizza, cookies, hot dogs, rotisserie chicken…each labeled with their Costco price in the exact same font you’d find at the store.

Even her birthday sign donned that signature Kirkland logo font.

Over at the pool, guests could relax with hotdog and pizza-shaped pool floats. Cause why not?

@jasminebellepak Aint no party like a wholesale party 😫💦 @Costco Wholesale i love u #costcotheme #costcoparty ♬ Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift

As for outfits—Pak and her friends also stayed in theme. And gloriously so.

While Pak sported a t-shirt featuring Costco’s classic hotdog and drink combo meal, her friends each took on a familiar Costco character. You know, the red-vested regional managers, the dude in a security vest asking if you need boxes, the hot dog cook and even the Sunday Costco mom.

And yes, they did have a samples lady. Can’t have a Costco-themed party without a samples lady.

@jasminebellepak All the fits from my @Costco Wholesale themed birthday party 😂 Motion to bring the combo pizza back please 😫 #costcotheme #costcoparty ♬ original sound – Jasmine Pak

Pak captioned her epic video with “Ain’t no party like a wholesale party,” even tagging Costco’s TikTok account and writing, “I love u.”

This party wasn’t just a hit for the party-goers. The clip quickly went viral on TikTok, with people gushing over how brilliant the concept and execution was.

“This is iconic,” one person commented.

“I am SO OBSESSED with this!! I hope ya’ll had the most amazing time,” wrote another.

Honestly, to say the party brought out the most hardcore Costco fans would be an understatement.

One even commented, “I would marry Costco if I could.” Next up: Costco-themed wedding, anyone?

Others were inspired to brainstorm their own store-themed party ideas.

“I need to do this, and a Trader Joe’s party” one person commented.

Between this genius party idea and an Ikea-themed kid’s party that went viral back in June of this year, it seems that beloved grocery markets have become the hot new celebration trend.

And truthfully, what a cool concept. So much of the party planning is baked right in, from food ideas to outfits to decor. Plus, there’s something about that special kid joy found in a grocery store that perfectly encapsulates the adult experience. Even as we grow older and life becomes a little more mundane, we’re still just kids at heart.

Selena Gomez‘s new song, “Single Soon,” is proving to be one of the bops of the summer. Though usually known for her slower, more downtempo songs, “Single Soon” features a more celebratory Gomez embracing an impending break-up, looking forward to self-love era.

Speaking of eras, we may be getting a new album from Gomez very soon. Though ahead of the release of “Single Soon,” she revealed that her third album on Interscope (and fourth overall) was not quite ready yet, it seems like Gomez knows the type of sound she wants to encapsulate on this particular project.

In an interview with SiriusXM Hits 1 LA With Tony Fly and Symon, Gomez revealed that much of the album will be more upbeat and happy in tone.

“There’s not one sad song on my album — and I don’t mean that in a way, like, everything is not full of meaning because I think even the most poppy songs can have heart,” she said. “I want that to come across, but I genuinely don’t feel like I have anything in me to write something negative. It just doesn’t match with where I am anymore.”

She continued, saying that she does plan to write more ballads in the future, but this particular project will be more uplifting.

“I live in Sad Girl music world,” she said. “I love that, and I’ll write that music all the time, but I just felt like this album shouldn’t be that.”

You can see a clip from the interview above.

We know very little about Drake‘s upcoming album, For All The Dogs. While we have a title and an adorable cover art drawn by his five-year-old son, Adonis, we don’t have any idea of a release date, or a tracklist.

While rumored release dates have come and gone, Drake continues to tease For All The Dogs, noting that he’s still putting finishing touches on the album. However, a leaked snippet has made its way onto the internet.

https://x.com/rapalert6/status/1697236612680208880?s=46&t=0B7rjHID1V3nNPkYMB-koA
https://x.com/kurrco/status/1697234180881420643?s=46&t=0B7rjHID1V3nNPkYMB-koA

Though the snippet has since been removed, fans quickly caught onto a line, on which Drake raps, “I should probably be in there with Thug and them.”

This likely alludes to Young Thug, who has been jailed for the past year, amid trials for RICO charges, along with several other members of the Young Stoner Life imprint. Many fans took to Twitter to express disappointment in the line, implying that Drake is attempting to put on a more tough image.

“Drake u are canadian,” said one Twitter user. “U are not about that hood life. Never was never will be.”

“Drake would lose his mind in there,” said another Twitter user, “idk what tf is wrong with him”

Drake has not commented on the matter, nor is it confirmed if this particular song will be on For All The Dogs.

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