Month: February 2024

Travis Scott’s Utopia — Circus Maximus Tour recently wrapped after months of generating headlines, including the fact that he performed “FE!N” 10 times in a row. Scott explained during a December appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that he chose to repeatedly run through the song because “I have, like, the best fans in the world, and I go off the energy they give me, and they were wild that night, and so I just got even wilder.”

Meanwhile, Joe Budden hates it.

Scott performed “FE!N” with Playboi Carti, the featured artist on the Utopia track, during the 2024 Grammys last Sunday, February 4, and Budden was less than impressed.

“What the f*ck is Travis and his man doing up here?” Budden said in a clip making the rounds on X (formerly Twitter) from the February 7 episode of The Joe Budden Podcast. “You two bozos, get the f*ck off the stage when n****s got beautiful women and tuxedos on, honestly. You up there smashing sh*t.”

Budden added, “All that sh*t look different when it ain’t a thousand little white kids jumping up and down. Ay, when there are grown people here, all that, ‘Fein! Fein! Fein!’ That’s what you wanted to win over Killer Mike?” (Scott’s Utopia was nominated for Best Rap Album, which Killer Mike won for Michael.)

Budden called Scott “stupid” before continuing to mockingly imitate Scott’s performance. And just when you think it couldn’t get any more brutal, Budden brought Carti into the criticism.

“And then you bring your man out,” he said. “This is how I knew I was in the f*cking matrix. You bring your man out, Playboi Carti, the crowd just stares silent. Playboi Carti looked confused. Like, ‘Y’all don’t know who I am?’ No, n***a! You got a f*cking mask on! Who the f*ck are you under there? You are not at South By Southwest [SXSW] anymore. We can’t recognize you bozos by the stocking mask you’re wearing. I hate these n****s, man. All of ’em!”

But it wasn’t all hate. Budden added, “I love that song, but not when the tuxedos are out. Take that sh*t to the dirty Coachella grass, n****.”

Watch the clip below, and listen to the full episode here.

It’s a pretty good time to be Scottie Barnes right now. While the Toronto Raptors are struggling and sit on the outside looking in when it comes to the Play-In Tournament, Barnes is in the midst of the best season of his young career, and has played well enough to earn a spot in the All-Star Game as an injury replace. Plus, Toronto made the decision to trade both Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby, which made clear that the team is committed to building around the former Rookie of the Year.

On Wednesday, Barnes and the Raptors picked up a 123-117 win over the Charlotte Hornets, with Toronto trying hard to hold onto a lead down the stretch. One possession in particular stood out, as Barnes needed to hoist up a shot as the shot clock was expiring and hit a part of the backboard that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a basketball hit.

It was a real hoist by Barnes, who just needed to get the ball out of his hands at all costs. The good news for Toronto was that Charlotte wasn’t able to punish them for the miss — Miles Bridges missed a jumper on the ensuing possession, and the Raptors were able to ice things at the free throw line. So hopefully Barnes and his teammates are able to laugh about this one after the game.

As you’ve probably heard, Rudy Giuliani could certainly be doing better these days. Once “America’s Mayor,” now he’s a joke who’s also broke, having filed for bankruptcy late last year after a defamation suit against him ended with him ordered to fork over $148 million. He doesn’t have that; for one thing his checking account is way in the red. You know who could slightly alleviate his suffering? Places that owe him money, like the 2020 Trump campaign.

Per Raw Story, Giuliani made an appearance in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Wednesday, where he was forced to admit that both the former president’s second campaign and the Republication National Committee owe him $2 million in legal fees.

“I got paid expenses but I never got a salary,” he revealed.

If it sounds like Giuliani’s creditors are demanding he ask Trump himself for money, he made sure to stress that he isn’t demanding Trump himself pay up. Just his campaign and the party committee that will likely name him as their 2024 candidate. Trump does owe Giuliani money, though it seems he’s hesitant to ask him for it, which definitely reflects positively on the 45th American president.

During the lengthy court appearance, Giuliani revealed he has $10.6 million in assets, which isn’t much when he owes $153 million in liabilities.

Will someone who owes Giuliani money for the love of god please give it to him already? The guy put himself in this position, but at this point his humiliation is on the verge of turning not tragicomic but regular tragic.

(Via Raw Story)

Celine Dion earned a standing ovation when she surprised everybody at the 2024 Grammys. Dion’s public appearances have been few and far between since she revealed her stiff-person syndrome (SPS) diagnosis in December 2022. The five-time Grammy winner presented Album Of The Year to Taylor Swift for Midnights, but before getting down to business, she told the entranced audience, “When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it — from my heart.”

Dion’s joy was even more evident backstage. Grammy-nominated songwriter Sonyaé posted an Instagram Reel montage of her night at the ceremony, beginning with footage of her singing — no, sanging — with Dion. The video also shows Sonyaé with SZA and Victoria Monét, two of the night’s biggest winners, before treating us with more footage of Dion singing — this time, alongside a beaming Stevie Wonder.

Dion attended the 2024 Grammys with her stylist, Law Roach, who came out of retirement for one night only for Dion’s big night (as per People).

“This makes me so much Joy!” Roach captioned an Instagram post. “Not just to dress my Queen again but the fact that she’s HEALTHY AND HAPPY! The UNIVERSE always PROTECTS and PROVIDES Thank you @maisonvalentino @pppiccioli @f3nardi @tiffanyandco @michaelmclaughlin2 @matthewreisman and of course Thank you Celine for allowing me to share this triumphant moment with you.”

According to several reputed medical institutions, stiff-person syndrome is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder, causing muscle stiffness and painful spasms, with no cure. On January 30, Rolling Stone reported Dion’s ongoing battle will be captured in a forthcoming documentary, I Am: Celine Dion, due out on Amazon Prime, though it doesn’t yet have a release date.

“This last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” Dion said in a statement posted to Instagram. “As the road to resuming my performing career continues, I have realized how much I have missed it, of being able to see my fans. During this absence, I decided I wanted to document this part of my life, to try to raise awareness of this little-known condition, to help others who share this diagnosis.”

Tina Fey has been into Reneé Rapp since casting her as Regina George for Mean Girls on Broadway, a role she held on stage from 2019 through 2020. She even recently reprised it for January’s Mean Girls musical movie. The rest of the world caught on to Rapp’s visceral star power around the release of her debut album, Snow Angel, as well as her subsequent Snow Hard Feelings Tour, and even more people hopped on the bandwagon during the wonderfully chaotic Mean Girls press run.

Rapp made her SNL debut as the musical guest for the January 20 episode hosted by Jacob Elordi, and Fey couldn’t be prouder. The most recent episode of Las Culturistas With Matt Rogers And Bowen Yang welcomed Fey as a guest, and she gushed about “Not My Fault,” Rapp’s song with Megan Thee Stallion for the Mean Girls soundtrack.

“I love it!” Fey said about 81 minutes into the episode. Rogers noted, “Reneé is a real one,” to which Fey agreed, “A real star.”

Fey later said, “The other thing that I loved about Reneé on SNL was her live vocal was right upfront in that mix. Right upfront! You could hear it was live.” Yang added, “She was great vibes, and then, at the afterparty, she was like, ‘I don’t do, like, big spaces.’ Everybody was like, ‘You’re so cool.’”

On the show, Rapp performed “Not My Fault” with Megan Thee Stallion — after Rachel McAdams, the OG Regina George, introduced her — and “Snow Angel.”

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

A few years back Netflix decided they were sick of only being the world’s biggest streamer of movies and TV. Why not add video games to their coffers somehow? And so they did. They just did it really quietly. Right now you can play dozens of games, many of which dropped late last year, including a Stranger Things game and one based on their Chicken Run sequel. They’re even “free,” which is to say part of one’s subscription. But how on earth do you play them?

That’s slightly (but not very) complex. There are three ways to play games.

Over the mobile app

If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 15 or later and/or an Android phone or tablet running 8.0 or later, for one thing make sure your app is up to date. Then mosey on over to the Netflix app. Scroll down on the home screen and you can find the game section.

Here’s where it gets kind of weird. Instead of just playing the game over the app — which sounds like it would be cumbersome over a streamer that already has movies and shows to deal with — you have to download the game as its own app. One you’ve done that, you should be good to go.

Among the games on there — including some spun off from original Netflix shows, like the aforementioned game for Stranger Things — are some classic ones, like three older Grand Theft Autos. Are those kind of tricky to play on your phone or tablet/iPad given that they were originally accessed with a many-buttoned controller? You betcha. But keep it at and you may get the hang of it.

There’s another way to play Netflix games, but it’s, as you shall soon see, limited.

Over your web browser

You can also play a select number of games on your browser, though currently only a handful. You can access what they have by simply logging in on your computer/laptop then scrolling down to the games section. For controls, you’ll be using your mouse or trackpad and keyboard.

On your TV

The games section is also easy to find, but there’s a catch: To play them you’ll need an N-Controller app on iPhone or iPad or the Netflix App on Android. Right now other controllers are not accessible. Once you acquire one of those, you’re good to go.

The current full list of Netflix games can be found here. Have fun!

Earlier this week, Kanye West (whose legal name is Ye) and Ty Dolla Sign announced a listening event at Chicago’s United Center on Thursday, February 8, for Vultures, their joint three-part album. Ye took to his since-expired Instagram Story (as preserved by @dondatimes), saying, “We just sold out the United Center in seven minutes.”

Then, on Wednesday, February 7, Ye announced another Vultures listening event at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York on Friday, February 9 — the scheduled release date for Vultures Vol. 1. If Chicago ticket sales are any indication, anybody planning to attend Friday will need to move fast.

How To Buy Tickets For Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign’s Vultures Listening Event In New York

It’s easy. If you go to UBS Arena’s official website, you’ll be greeted by a pop-up promoting the Vultures event. Click on it, and you’ll be redirected to a page displaying the event information and prompting you to buy tickets. Click on that, and you’ll be redirected to Ticketmaster (of course), where the general public on-sale is scheduled for Thursday, February 8, at 10 a.m. EST.

How Much Are Tickets For Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign’s Vultures Listening Event In New York?

According to a press release (as relayed by BrooklynVegan), ticket prices begin at $140.

Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Last week, Kanye West (who legally changed his name to Ye in October 2021) made a surprise appearance at Travis Scott’s Utopia — Circus Maximus Tour and performed several classics from his discography. He was also joined by Bump and Ty Dolla Sign to perform “Vultures,” the title track of Ye and Ty Dolla Sign’s forthcoming joint album-turned-three-part-project.

As is the case with most everything Ye does, the Vultures rollout has been clunky, including several delays, But it appears that Vultures is set to release as most recently announced – Vultures Vol. 1 due out this Friday, February 9, the second volume on March 8, and the third volume on April 5 — because listening events are scheduled throughout this week.

First, they announced a Vultures listening event at Chicago’s United Center — which Ye said sold out in seven minutes — for Thursday, February 8. And Wednesday, February 7, Ye posted “VULTURES UBS ARENA NEW YORK 02 09 2024″ to his Instagram Story.

An official release was posted to UBS Arena’s official website, as seen below:

“In a celebration of music and artistry, the American hip hop superduo ¥$ – composed of the visionary rapper and producer YE (FKA Kanye West) and the immensely talented Ty Dolla Sign – is thrilled to announce the official album release party and listening experience for their debut studio album, Vultures, Volume 1. This exclusive event is set to take place on Friday, February 9, 2024, at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY located 30 minutes from Penn Station or Grand Central via LIRR.

Fans will have the rare opportunity to experience Vultures, Volume 1 in a high-fidelity audio and visual showcase, crafted by YE and Ty Dolla Sign. This event marks a historic moment as attendees will listen to the album together with the artists and album collaborators. This gathering promises to be an iconic moment in music history, bringing together special guests, album collaborators, and fans in a celebration of creativity and innovation.”

That said, you have to be a die-hard Ye and/or Ty Dolla Sign fan to attend, considering ticket prices start at $140, as per BrooklynVegan. Find more information here.

Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Paul Giamatti does some of his finest work in The Holdovers, which is saying something. But it’s not just his god-tier crabbiness, his defiantly flowery patois, his penchant for calling his peabrained pupils things like “snarling Visigoths” that are impressive. He also does something freaky with a key part of his face. For months he’s refused to explain how he pulled off his character’s lazy eye, which frankly looks absolutely realistic. Now he’s let the cat out of the bag, and the cat? It’s actually not that impressive.

Per The Daily Beast, the In-N-Out enthusiast went on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show Wednesday, during which his host admitted he thought the lazy eye was real. It wasn’t, revealed Giamatti, who’s said a lot of people have gone up to him, saying it looked like it was. When that’s happened, Giamatti has had a blunt thought to himself.

“How f*cking stupid are you? It’s a thing in my eye!” he said. “But I guess it worked really well.”

Okay, but what thing is in his eye? Stern pressed him, and it turns out it’s really obvious.

“It’s a lens,” Giamatti said. “A big soft contact lens.”

Putting a giant contact lens on his eye wasn’t ideal for Giamatti, who admitted he’s “squeamish” about putting anything on his eyes. The fake lazy eye lens took “a lot to get used to,” and though it was opaque it did leave him “blind in one eye,” including for scenes where he’s driving a car (or chasing around co-star Dominic Sessa).

Seems pretty obvious now that Giamatti’s pointed it out, doesn’t it? It’s still an impressive contact lens, though. It’s so good that perhaps, like Stern, you, too, thought that Giamatti had always had a lazy eye and you simply never noticed it somehow. But no, it’s just movie magic that’s been around as long as contact lenses have been.

The Holdovers is now in theaters and it streams on Peacock. It’s pretty good, you should watch it.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Hopefully Avatar is enjoying its stay atop Uproxx‘s “The 30 Best Movies On Disney Plus Right Now (February 2024)” list, because Taylor Swift has never met a list she didn’t top (multiple times, in most cases). Soon her Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film is primed to unseat James Cameron’s blockbuster from its top spot.

When Is Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) Concert Movie Available On Disney Plus?

On Wednesday, February 7 — the same day she resumed her The Eras Tour with the first of four dates in Tokyo, Japan — Swift announced that a revamped version of her October concert movie will be available to stream exclusively on Disney+ on March 15.

“This week is truly the best kind of chaos,” Swift posted on Instagram, likely referring to winning two more Grammys (including her fourth-career Album Of The Year), announcing her 11th original studio album, and resuming her billion-dollar tour. “I’m thrilled to let you know I’ve found a streaming home for The Eras Tour Concert Film, and that home will be @disneyplus.”

Swift continued, “For the first time we’ll be showing the entire concert (including ‘cardigan,’ plus 4 additional songs from the acoustic section!!) and I’m calling it, huge shock, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version). Available starting March 15 which is actually very [soon emoji].”

The aforementioned newly announced album is entitled The Tortured Poets Department, and Swifties will have a full month to indulge their ongoing The Eras Tour fascination on Disney Plus before spending every waking hour unearthing The Tortured Poets Department Easter eggs. That work, though, already began when Swift revealed the tracklist on Monday, February 5.