Month: November 2023

The Hillbillies, more or less an alter-ego duo of cousins Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, headlined Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival last weekend. Before their set, a mysterious trailer played on the stage’s screen for what we now know to be Baby Keem’s forthcoming The Melodic Blue visual. This morning, November 16, a press release confirmed that The Melodic Blue will be available to globally stream on Amazon Prime Video on December 5.

“Keem’s internal battle leads us through fragments of memory and temptation as he navigates the depths of The Melodic Blue,” the press release teased.

The Melodic Blue first arrived as Baby Keem’s major-label debut album in September 2021, which Uproxx’s Wongo Okon reviewed as “Baby Keem’s attempt to balance his individuality with a reduced dose of his trademarked chaotic energy.” Keem dropped a deluxe version in October 2022.

According to the press release, The Melodic Blue visual was directed by Savannah Setten. It stars acclaimed actress Amandla Stenberg opposite Keem, Shakira Ja’nai Paye, Francis Lovehall, and Séréna Sy. The visual presented by Eerie Times, pgLang, and Amazon Music was co-executive produced Keem, Kendrick Lamar, and Dave Free. Jamie Rabineau and Cornell Brown are also credited producers.

See the official poster below.

The Hillbillies, more or less an alter-ego duo of cousins Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, headlined Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival last weekend. Before their set, a mysterious trailer played on the stage’s screen for what we now know to be Baby Keem’s forthcoming The Melodic Blue visual. This morning, November 16, a press release confirmed that The Melodic Blue will be available to globally stream on Amazon Prime Video on December 5.

“Keem’s internal battle leads us through fragments of memory and temptation as he navigates the depths of The Melodic Blue,” the press release teased.

The Melodic Blue first arrived as Baby Keem’s major-label debut album in September 2021, which Uproxx’s Wongo Okon reviewed as “Baby Keem’s attempt to balance his individuality with a reduced dose of his trademarked chaotic energy.” Keem dropped a deluxe version in October 2022.

According to the press release, The Melodic Blue visual was directed by Savannah Setten. It stars acclaimed actress Amandla Stenberg opposite Keem, Shakira Ja’nai Paye, Francis Lovehall, and Séréna Sy. The visual presented by Eerie Times, pgLang, and Amazon Music was co-executive produced Keem, Kendrick Lamar, and Dave Free. Jamie Rabineau and Cornell Brown are also credited producers.

See the official poster below.

André 3000 is keenly aware that fans have been desperate for an album from him since Outkast’s 2006 disbanding. The iconic rapper has addressed it several times, including in December 2019, when he told Rick Rubin that an album was “just not coming” because ” my focus is not there; my confidence is not there.” Really, André 3000 has appeared perhaps his most publicly confident when playing his flute to strangers, so it should come as no surprise that his long-awaited, newly announced solo album, New Blue Sun, is purely instrumental.

In a newly published GQ cover profile, André 3000 explained why New Blue Sun is not a rap album.

“I’ve worked with some of the newest, freshest, youngest, and old-school producers,” he told writer Zach Baron. “I get beats all the time. I try to write all the time. […] Even now people think, Oh, man, he’s just sitting on raps, or he’s just holding these raps hostage. I ain’t got no raps like that.”

He continued, “It actually feels…sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way. I’m 48 years old. And not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does. And things that happen in my life, like, what are you talking about? ‘I got to go get a colonoscopy.’ What are you rapping about? ‘My eyesight is going bad.’ You can find cool ways to say it, but….”

Not-so-coincidentally, the opening track on New Blue Sun is titled “I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time.”

See the cover artwork and full tracklist below.

1. “I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time”
2. “The Slang Word P(*)ssy Rolls Off The Tongue With Far Better Ease Than The Proper Word Vagina. Do You Agree?”
3. “That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther And Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Sh¥t Was Wild”
4. “BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears A 3000 Button Down Embroidered”
5. “Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé”
6. “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, And John Wayne Gacy”
7. “Ants To You, Gods To Who?”
8. “Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens”

New Blue Sun is out 11/17 via Epic Records. Find more information here.

André 3000 is keenly aware that fans have been desperate for an album from him since Outkast’s 2006 disbanding. The iconic rapper has addressed it several times, including in December 2019, when he told Rick Rubin that an album was “just not coming” because ” my focus is not there; my confidence is not there.” Really, André 3000 has appeared perhaps his most publicly confident when playing his flute to strangers, so it should come as no surprise that his long-awaited, newly announced solo album, New Blue Sun, is purely instrumental.

In a newly published GQ cover profile, André 3000 explained why New Blue Sun is not a rap album.

“I’ve worked with some of the newest, freshest, youngest, and old-school producers,” he told writer Zach Baron. “I get beats all the time. I try to write all the time. […] Even now people think, Oh, man, he’s just sitting on raps, or he’s just holding these raps hostage. I ain’t got no raps like that.”

He continued, “It actually feels…sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way. I’m 48 years old. And not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does. And things that happen in my life, like, what are you talking about? ‘I got to go get a colonoscopy.’ What are you rapping about? ‘My eyesight is going bad.’ You can find cool ways to say it, but….”

Not-so-coincidentally, the opening track on New Blue Sun is titled “I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time.”

See the cover artwork and full tracklist below.

1. “I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time”
2. “The Slang Word P(*)ssy Rolls Off The Tongue With Far Better Ease Than The Proper Word Vagina. Do You Agree?”
3. “That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther And Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Sh¥t Was Wild”
4. “BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears A 3000 Button Down Embroidered”
5. “Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé”
6. “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, And John Wayne Gacy”
7. “Ants To You, Gods To Who?”
8. “Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens”

New Blue Sun is out 11/17 via Epic Records. Find more information here.

Earlier today Snoop Dogg shocked the world by announcing that he’s “giving up smoke” after conversations with his family. And while he requested that his privacy be respected, one can’t help but wonder… WHY is Snoop Dogg giving up smoking, after basically building his brand on it for the past 30 years?

It’s not the first time Snoop said he was going cold turkey on his favorite vegetable. In January this year, Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired a 20-year retrospective in which Snoop declared he was quitting weed back in 2003. After asking Snoop what he remembered from their first episode (“organized confusion”), Kimmel recalled Snoop telling him he quite smoking marijuana and asked him how that was going. “Well, I guess I’ve relapsed,” Snoop joked before experiencing a bit of word flight. “See? That’s what happens,” Jimmy quipped.

Snoop, who’s smoked with everyone from Ed Sheeran to (allegedly) Barack Obama, is so notorious for his love of the chronic that he’s had to shoot down smoke stories on rare occasions. Last year, his pre-game activities from the Super Bowl drew scrutiny from the New York Post (which then drew ridicule for the rag from the users of Twitter) and in November, he called out his supposed blunt roller for exaggerating the amount of weed he smokes in a day.

Until Snoop explains himself, though, all fans can do is speculate — and make jokes about their disbelief. Check out a few below.

Earlier today Snoop Dogg shocked the world by announcing that he’s “giving up smoke” after conversations with his family. And while he requested that his privacy be respected, one can’t help but wonder… WHY is Snoop Dogg giving up smoking, after basically building his brand on it for the past 30 years?

It’s not the first time Snoop said he was going cold turkey on his favorite vegetable. In January this year, Jimmy Kimmel Live! aired a 20-year retrospective in which Snoop declared he was quitting weed back in 2003. After asking Snoop what he remembered from their first episode (“organized confusion”), Kimmel recalled Snoop telling him he quite smoking marijuana and asked him how that was going. “Well, I guess I’ve relapsed,” Snoop joked before experiencing a bit of word flight. “See? That’s what happens,” Jimmy quipped.

Snoop, who’s smoked with everyone from Ed Sheeran to (allegedly) Barack Obama, is so notorious for his love of the chronic that he’s had to shoot down smoke stories on rare occasions. Last year, his pre-game activities from the Super Bowl drew scrutiny from the New York Post (which then drew ridicule for the rag from the users of Twitter) and in November, he called out his supposed blunt roller for exaggerating the amount of weed he smokes in a day.

Until Snoop explains himself, though, all fans can do is speculate — and make jokes about their disbelief. Check out a few below.

The Treefort Music Fest — an annual event held in downtown Boise, Idaho — unveiled the first wave of their 2024 lineup. Right now, Channel Tres, Drama, and Ty Segall are leading as the top-billed performers.

The festival will be held on March 20 to 24 next year and is set to take place in Julia Davis Park.

Others that have been announced so far include Devendra Banhart, Neko Case, Franc Moody, Dehd, Celisse, DakhaBrakha, K.Flay, Briston Maroney, Armand Hammer, Daði Freyr, Dry Cleaning, Shamir, Patrick Watson, A Place To Bury Strangers, and many more.

Along with musicians, there will be a Comedyfort — with Janeane Garofalo headlining for one night on Saturday, March 23.

Five-day passes to Treefort Music Fest are on sale now. There are a few different tiers, including standard General Admission, Zipline (which includes front-of-line access), and Under 21 options. Right now, these range from $170 to $420, depending on the pass chosen — but prices will be rising after the new year.

For those interested in single-day tickets, those will be available starting next month. Finally, festival attendees have the option to bundle their tickets with a hotel, which will also include a discount on Treefort merchandise.

More information about the lineup and tickets for Treefort Music Festival 2024 can be found through their official website.

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

Remember Brendan Fraser? 10 years ago, he was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Then, he suddenly disappeared.

If you were a kid in the late ’90s and early ’00s, chances are you saw a Brendan Fraser movie. The comedy and action star catapulted to fame behind blockbusters like “The Mummy” franchise, “George of the Jungle,” “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” and the Oscar-winning film “Crash.”

But after 2008, he largely disappeared from major starring roles. His absence wasn’t due to drugs, a sex-scandal, or illness — despite memes and even reported articles speculating about his career arc, with many blaming it on poor career choices.

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Fraser revealed in a recent interview that an incident of sexual harassment led him to withdraw from his high-profile lifestyle.

Lately, the actor has gradually returned to more high-profile roles, and in an interview with GQ, he explained that the real reason he stepped back from the spotlight was because of being physically groped by Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

In his own book, Berk admitted to “pinching” Fraser in the buttocks after an event, but Fraser says the incident was much worse. “His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around.”

“I felt ill. I felt like a little kid,” he told GQ. “I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry.”

He said it’s time to speak out, and other male victims of harassment are supporting him.

Berk has called the allegation a “total fabrication” but acknowledges he sent Fraser an apology letter after the incident when the actor complained to the HFPA. Fraser said he tried to bury his feelings about the incident, but he was moved into action after seeing actresses and actors speaking up at this year’s Golden Globes.

“Am I still frightened? Absolutely. Do I feel like I need to say something? Absolutely. Have I wanted to many, many times? Absolutely. Have I stopped myself? Absolutely.”

Despite his reservations, people seem to believe, and be genuinely moved by, Fraser’s claim. Once the target of jokes, Fraser has become a catalyst for moving praise across social media.

All these years and we discover that Brendan Fraser really is the guy you think he is, which means he’s too pure for this world and the world put some scars on him. I love him more than ever now.https://t.co/XGXV8FG5GK

— Geek Girl Diva (@geekgirldiva) February 22, 2018

I love Brendan Fraser and I am so proud of him for speaking his truth. https://t.co/Ev3seJavsf

— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) February 22, 2018

The Brendan Fraser story is a good reminder to always side-eye established, assumed narratives. So many people have been beaten up and spit out by our major institutions, forgotten until we cycle back around to empathy.

— A.B. (@AlannaBennett) February 22, 2018

He’s also earned some public support from actor Terry Crews, who has publicly discussed experiencing a similar incident years ago.

“Brendan is amazingly courageous in telling this,” Crews wrote on Twitter. “His assault experience is extremely similar to mine — ending with the assailant explaining away his actions. One man’s ‘horseplay’ is another man’s humiliation.”

Brendan is amazingly courageous in telling this. His assault experience is extremely similar to mine— ending with the assailant explaining away his actions.

One mans “horseplay” is another man’s humiliation. https://t.co/nNjtmKq5D7

— terry crews (@terrycrews) February 22, 2018

Victims of sexual harassment and assault often face deep shame and fear in speaking out. Speaking out takes courage.

Speaking out after experiencing harassment or assault can be an incredible challenge, often full of personal and professional risk. Though the majority of assaults are against women, men face their own similar challenges in overcoming shame, doubt, and repercussions for coming forward and speaking out. When men like Fraser and Crews speak out, they help clear the path for other men to come forward with their own stories.

This story originally appeared on 08.06.19

LAS VEGAS – It didn’t take long for the Netflix Cup to reveal itself as anything but a typical pro-am golf event. As the pairs (each golfer from the streamer’s Full Swing teamed up with an F1 driver from Drive To Survive) teed off at the first hole, the scramble — literally — was on. The goal was to get the ball in the hole as quickly as possible, and after their first shot, the teams piled into their carts and raced to their next shot.

For golf purists, this probably elicited an eye roll or two, especially at the pristine, perfectly manicured Wynn Golf Club. But for Netflix, their first foray into live sports was an announcement to the world that the plan is coming together.

From Marshawn Lynch on course giving off the wall commentary and interviews to a Squid Game themed red light/green light hole, the eight-hole format moved quickly and had just enough competitive action to keep things moving. There were awkward moments and some technical things still need to be smoothed out, but that’s to be expected after any first-time approach. And host Kay Adams deserves credit for holding it all together throughout the event.

For a platform that traditionally would see users binging Seinfeld and Love Is Blind, it would be easy to stay out of the live sports fray. But there’s a bigger plan in place, and with rumors that Netflix might try to get into the bidding for the NBA In-Season Tournament, case studies like the Netflix Cup allow for rapid testing of the product in real-time. It might not always go well (as seen by the attempted Love Is Blind reunion earlier in the year), but there are learnings to be had from every attempt.

If anything, this puts Netflix one step closer to realizing a vision of a sports version of the Bravoverse, which has served that network well over the years. Bravo Con just concluded in Las Vegas prior to The Netflix Cup’s arrival, and demand for the stars hasn’t waned over the years. Having multiple properties that exist inside the same universe, with the potential for those individuals to show up in other shows, builds a larger world for viewers. And Bravo learned a long time ago that the quickest formula to getting people to care about anything from high-end real estate to cooking was to put personality first, and let stars be themselves (with the benefit of crafty editing and a little bit of mess).

As the pendulum swung from players revealing more of themselves to starting to run and organize their own projects, we’re actually learning less about athletes than before. Access has been chopped as players exact control over documentaries and podcasts. Sure, their personalities bleed through at times, but it’s only one angle of who they are. The Last Dance worked because it was a singular event about a very specific subject who was already larger than life in Michael Jordan. And its launch was only bolstered by it becoming destination viewing during the pandemic when live sports were shut down. The wrong lesson was taken away from that, in that the subjects could determine what was and wasn’t interesting about a project. There have been wins along the way (with The Redeem Team being one of them), but at the end of the day, the old Us Weekly “stars they’re just like us” mantra holds true. Viewers don’t always want a polished, convenient narrative when it comes to players. They want “reality” — even the reality tv version.

Drive To Survive captured that. It found the glitz and glamor of F1 but developed compelling storylines for individual drivers and in the rivalries between them. F1 is the closest thing sports has to a Selling Sunset or a Million Dollar Listing. You’ll see yachts and CEOs and opulence spilling into everything, but there’s fierce competitiveness above all else. And winning is still everything. Full Swing is still finding its footing, but golf was a natural bridge. Athletes can always relate to other athletes, and the “Boardroom” approach has them moving into other industries that fit conveniently into a Sports Bravoverse. And as more players team up and invest in other sports (Pat Mahomes, who produces Quarterback, recently invested in F1’s Alpine team), the cross-contamination is already there for more offerings as long as the perspectives aren’t too closely gatekept by the players themselves.

The Netflix Cup gave us a taste of that. All it took was Carlos Sainz fumbling the cup itself and seeing it smash into the ground that these guys are human, and humans can be silly, or be villains, or be imperfect, or start drama. Letting us into a little mess won’t keep them from being larger than life. It’ll just help us relate to them, and binge more in the process.

In September 2021, Baby Keem released his major-label debut album, The Melodic Blue. A deluxe version followed in October 2022. And Keem still isn’t finished with The Melodic Blue, as an accompanying visual was announced today (November 16).

As per a press release, The Melodic Blue visual will be presented by Eerie Times, pgLang, and Amazon Music to stream globally on Amazon Prime Video on December 5. Information is sparse, other than the fact that it stars acclaimed actress Amandla Stenberg. “Keem’s internal battle leads us through fragments of memory and temptation as he navigates the depths of The Melodic Blue,” the press release teases.

Last Saturday, November 11, The Hillbillies — comprised of Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar — headlined Tyler The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival (newly labeled “The Best Festival In America” by Uproxx’s Aaron Williams and Philip Cosores). Before the set’s start, a trailer for Keem’s The Melodic Blue visual played.

Someone in attendance captured the trailer on video, later circulating on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Along with Stenberg, the Savannah Setten-directed visual will co-star Baby Keem, Shakira Janai Paye, Francis Lovehall, and Séréna Sy. The press release confirms that it was co-executive produced by Keem, Kendrick Lamar, and Dave Free. Jamie Rabineau and Cornell Brown are also credited producers.

See the poster below.