Month: January 2024

The Divisional Round is always riveting in the NFL world, and that was the case a week ago. While not every game was elite, there was plenty of drama, including a memorable close to the slate with a tight one between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. In this space, we found reasonable success with a 2-1 record on a reduced slate, but there is also a hint of sadness in the reality of only three NFL games remaining this season.

Alas, we’ll make the most of them. Or at least try to. Before we hand out some picks for Conference Championship Weekend, let’s check on the full-season work.

• Divisional Round Weekend: 2-1
• 2023 Season: 51-40-4

Come get these winners.

Kansas City Chiefs (+4) over Baltimore Ravens — DraftKings

Let me get this out of the way. I don’t love either side or total this week. If this was a normal week, I would punt on both games. But here we are. I think the Ravens are more likely to win the game outright at home, but if you’re giving me the full four points with Patrick Mahomes in what could be a low-scoring game, I’m taking them on principle.

Patrick Mahomes OVER 36.5 pass attempts— DraftKings

The Chiefs have wisely leaned more on Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce after the disaster that was their receiving corps for most of the year. Furthermore, this number has gone over in four of the last six games and, while the Over/Under total is not high here, I’ll be surprised if the Chiefs are trying to smash Isiah Pacheco into the line against Baltimore. This isn’t one that is likely to fly over in the third quarter, but I like the value.

Justice Hill OVER 12.5 receiving yards — Widely Available

Hill has been a more prominent part of Baltimore’s attack in recent weeks, including three of the last four games going over this number. The Ravens are going to have to sling it at some point here, and Hill should get a couple of screen calls to get us home.

Christian McCaffrey UNDER 19.5 rushing attempts — Widely Available

This was actually at 20 or 20.5 in some spots this week, and I hope you got it. San Francisco projects to throw more than usual in this game, at least in my view, and McCaffrey has only gone over this total four times all year. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll be prominently involved, but this number is inflated. Hopefully we’ll see Elijah Mitchell a couple of times.

Detroit Lions (+7.5) over San Francisco 49ers — PointsBet, DraftKings

Like I said above, I don’t love the sides, but when this nudged above seven in a couple of places, I took it. Those hooks are still available, and between San Francisco’s offensive line challenges, a hint of concern with Brock Purdy, and the injury concerns with Deebo Samuel, I’m leaning more toward Detroit. I don’t think the Niners are a terrible teaser leg, but the 7.5 is enough for me.

Megan Thee Stallion just released a new song, “Hiss.” On it, she appears to go after Nicki Minaj, rapping, “These hoes don’t be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan’s Law / I don’t really know what the problem is, but I guarantee y’all don’t want me to start / B*tch, you a p*ssy, never finna check me / Every chance you get, bet your weak ass won’t address me.”

Since Megan’s Law has to do with sex offenders, the lyric has been interpreted as a reference to Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty. So, what are Minaj’s thoughts on the situation?

Did Nicki Minaj Diss Megan Thee Stallion?

It really looks like it, yeah.

After “Hiss” was released, Minaj hopped on Instagram Live to play a snippet of an unreleased song, on which she raps, “Bad b*tch, she like six foot, I call her Big Foot / The b*tch fell off, I said, ‘Get up on your good foot,’” an apparent reference to Megan getting shot in the foot by Tory Lanez. Furthermore, she also mocked Megan’s rap flow, saying, “You have three Grammys and you have to learn how to rap on the beat and be comfortable in the music.”

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The girls are fighting: Megan Thee Stallion’s appearance on the Mean Girls soundtrack has reignited the fiery side of the rapper. On her latest single, “Hiss,” she’s officially taken the gloves off. While Megan has attempted to stay far away from conflict, her detractors don’t have that same sense of peace; thus, a music beef has been brought to the forefront.

On the record, co-produced by LilJuMadeDaBeat, Bankroll Got It, and Shawn “Source” Jarrett, Megan is done playing nice with former friend Nicki Minaj.

What Did Megan Thee Stallion Say About Nicki Minaj On ‘Hiss?’

Well, nearly the end of the song’s first verse, Megan takes an apparent jab at Nicki’s husband Kenneth Petty’s legal matters. “These hoes don’t be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan’s Law,” raps Megan, referring to Petty’s past sexual assault allegations and failure to register as a sex offender in the state of California. “I don’t really know what the problem is, but I guarantee y’all don’t want me to start / B*tch, you a p*ssy, never finna check me / Every chance you get, bet your weak ass won’t address me / B*tches swear they G, but the G must stand for goofy.”

Shortly after the record was released, Nicki took to Instagram Live to preview a snippet of her response diss track.

But apparently, Nicki isn’t the only person Megan turns her pen on. Fans believe the record contains a slew of sharp jabs aimed at her ex-boyfriend Pardi, Drake, and even DaBaby.

Listen to “Hiss” below.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Today’s episode begins with a quick Sportscast in which Steven mourns the defeat of his surprisingly good Green Bay Packers and pays tribute to the lovable Detroit Lions. He and Ian also compare Detroit and San Francisco as music cities — it’s Bob Seger vs. Huey Lewis time! Then they do a quick update of the winter Fantasy Albums Draft, as it is a big day for Steven’s team with new releases by The Smile and Katy Kirby. Then they break down The Smile’s Wall Of Eyes, which sounds like a Radiohead album that’s 90 percent as good.

Next comes Steven’s most anticipated part of the episode — it’s an Ian Cohen pop quiz where Steven lists off 10 albums and asks Ian if he reviewed them for Pitchfork. This is taking “Remember Some Guys” to a whole new level. Then the guys address the discourse around Alex G’s recent signing to RCA Records and whether he has the potential to become “Boygenius big.” In the mailbag, a listener asks about the recent commercial featuring a Das Racist oldie and an “explanation” of Hozier’s success.

In Recommendation Corner, Ian talks up the latest from the British band Courting and Steven reiterates Ian’s recent rave for Glass Beach.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 173 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

Jimmy Kimmel and Ted Cruz do not see eye to eye on much. They don’t even agree that “I 2 I” is the best song from A Goofy Movie (Ted is more of a “Lester’s Possum Park” guy). Cruz and Kimmel are usually at odds with each other; the late night host has ripped into the stepmom porn fan for being a “lyin’ little bitch,” “scumbag,” and “the senator version of Nickelback,” while the Texas senator loves to remind people that he “kicked [Kimmel’s] ass” in basketball. But they finally found something to agree on: hating Trump.

“Ted Cruz does not like Donald Trump. He pretends to — he kisses his ass constantly — but on this show, Ted Cruz told me if he had a chance to run Donald Trump over with his car, he would,” Kimmel said during Thursday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. He admitted that Ted is “no dummy,” and in a “quietly evil way,” he’s trying to get Trump to take a cognitive test.

After playing a clip of Cruz saying that “Trump will whip Biden’s ass,” Kimmel joked, “That’s his sexual fantasty.” He continued, “I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but I agree with Ted Cruz. Let’s fire up those tests. Let’s make a round robin tournament out of it: Trump vs. [Nikki] Haley, and the winner faces Joe Biden… I want to see the guy who stared directly into an eclipse, I want to see the guy who can’t plead the Fifth without using his fingers, the guy who spells KFC with two E’s, take this test on television.”

You can watch the Jimmy Kimmel Live clip above.

Today (January 26), Megan Thee Stallion released a new single, “Hiss.” Nicki Minaj did not like that.

On the new track, Meg raps, “These hoes don’t be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan’s Law / I don’t really know what the problem is, but I guarantee y’all don’t want me to start / B*tch, you a p*ssy, never finna check me / Every chance you get, bet your weak ass won’t address me.”

Per Cornell Law School, Megan’s Law is “the federal law that ‘require(s) the release of relevant information to protect the public from sexually violent offenders.’” This has been interpreted as a reference to Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty, who in 2022 was sentenced to a year of house arrest for failing to register as a sex offender.

Minaj caught wind of the new song and didn’t waste time with her retort.

After the song dropped, Minaj hopped on Instagram Live for a broadcast, during which repeatedly played a snippet of an unreleased song featuring lyrics apparently aimed at Meg. Minaj raps, “Bad b*tch, she like six foot, I call her Big Foot / The b*tch fell off, I said, ‘Get up on your good foot.’” The foot lyrics are an apparent reference to Megan getting shot in the foot by Tory Lanez.

During the broadcast, Minaj also made fun of Meg’s rapping skills, saying, “You have three Grammys and you have to learn how to rap on the beat and be comfortable in the music,” then doing a mocking impression of Meg’s flow.

On top of that, Minaj also liked posts about Megan getting shot, and posted a photo of her feet on X (formerly Twitter).

In what has been interpreted as Megan’s response to this, she took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of herself laughing.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Justin Timberlake has a lot going on right now. He just released his new single “Selfish,” he’s performing on Saturday Night Live this weekend, and he just announced his new album, Everything I Thought It Was. He was also a guest on The Tonight Show yesterday (January 25), and there, he and Jimmy Fallon revealed some big news.

Towards the end of the first segment of the interview, Fallon and Timberlake talked about JT’s recent performances before egging the audience and each other on about some mystery piece of news. Eventually, Timberlake revealed that he’s going on tour, then Fallon offered some more concrete info after the commercial break. An official announcement via press release was shared the following morning.

The tour, dubbed The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, launches in Vancouver on April 29 and will run through to July. General onsale for tickets starts February 2 at 10 a.m. local time, via justintimberlake.com. Citi and Verizon presales start January 30.

Check out clips from Timberlake’s Fallon interview above. Below, find Timberlake’s 2024 tour dates.

Justin Timberlake’s 2024 Tour Dates: The Forget Tomorrow World Tour

04/29 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
05/02 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
05/06 — San Jose, CA @ SAP Center at San Jose
05/10 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
05/14 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena San Diego
05/17 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum
05/21 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
05/29 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
05/31 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
06/04 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
06/06 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
06/10 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
06/12 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
06/14 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
06/15 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
06/21 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
06/25 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
06/29 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
07/03 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
07/04 — Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
07/07 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
07/09 — Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena

Everything I Thought It Was is out 3/15 via RCA Records. Find more information here.

Megan Thee Stallion is out for blood. Tonight (January 26), the rapper has shared her new single, “Venom.”

Right out the gate, Meg makes it known she’s back with a vengeance.

“I just want to kick this sh*t off by saying, ‘F*ck y’all. I ain’t gotta clear my name on a motherf*ckin’ thing,” she says in the song’s intro. She proceeds to address her omnipresence in the game, saying, “My p*ssy so famous, might get managed by Kris Jenner next”

Throughout the song, she delivers scorching bars, taking no prisoners. Everyone can get the smoke, and Meg isn’t holding back.

She continues to address “goofy ass hoes” who “look so dumb every time y’all celebrate fake news / Using my name for like and views, I don’t give a f*ck what y’all make.”

Meg then questions the purpose of the people who continue to talk sh*t, noting that they are gaining nothing from the actity.

“These blogs get paid to lie / Y’all talk sh*t and be broke as f*ck,” she says to haters who drag her name on social media

You can listen to “Hiss” above.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lil Nas X has the world talking. His latest video, “J Christ” has been met with praise by fans, as well as controversy from Christian conservatives (as was expected). This weekend, the pop and hip-hop hitmaker is set to drop his documentary Long Live Montero, which will give fans a look at his rise to fame, coming out, and handling scrutiny from the public. Ahead of the documentary, Lil Nas X has shared a new song, “Where Do We Go Now?,” written just for the film.

On the song, which was produced by Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin, Lil Nas X finds himself wondering what’s next. He’s had an impressive run as a gamechanger in the mainstream music landscape, however, seems to be grappling with the mixed emotions that come with fame.

“Where do we go now? / We’ve seen everything we had to see / We figured it out, my love / So where are we goin’? / So where do we go now? / We did everything so endlessly / And only to feel undone / So where are we goin’?,” he sings on the song’s chorus.

The song serves as a bridge between Lil Nas X’s debut Montero era, and the world he’s creating with his imminent second album.

You can listen to “Where Do We Go Now?” above.

Long Live Montero will be available for streaming on Max beginning 1/27.

The Kid Laroi is keeping fans fed. Tonight (January 26), the Australian hip-hop and pop hitmaker has shared “Heaven,” a poignant new ballad documenting a transformation in Laroi‘s heart.

On “Heaven,” Laroi reflects on his past — which consisted of much drinking and substance use. “I was reckless, drinking every night
And gettin’ high, nothin’ there behind my eyes,” he sings in the song’s opening verse.

He shares that he’s decided to invite love in, after shutting out the idea for years, and this choice has made a world of difference. Laroi has no desire to give up anytime soon, as he’s found a new heaven on earth.

“Heaven is a place I don’t wanna go / ‘Cause when I see your face, I don’t wanna die no more / And every time I pray / All I’m askin’ for is anothеr day / I don’t wanna die no more,” sings Laroi on the song’s chorus.

While Laroi hasn’t indicated that a follow-up to his debut album, The First Time is on the way, he has been hard at work on new music. In an interview with triple J Australia, Laroi shared that his sophomore album may arrive sooner rather than later.

“I’ve been waking up early every morning and going to bed late as hell, just like running around doing this type of stuff,” Laroi said. “I was in the studio today – I’ve already started working on the next record.”

You can listen to “Heaven” above.