Month: February 2024

A former music video producer is suing Russell Simmons for allegedly raping her in the ’90s, according to Variety. The anonymous producer, going by Jane Doe in the suit, filed the suit today, saying that the incident took place when she worked for Simmons’ label, Def Jam in the late 1990s, when she went to his apartment to get approval for a video’s rough cut.

Doe claims that Simmons displayed a pattern of sexual harassment at the Def Jam offices, making sexual innuendos toward her behind closed doors. On the date of the incident in question, she says Simmons “forcefully pinned” her, and continued despite her telling him to “‘get off’ and ‘stop’ several times.” After the incident, she says, she developed depression and anxiety, suffering panic attacks and developing an eating disorder, all of which prompted her to quit her job at Def Jam (she is now a writer and producer elsewhere in the entertainment industry).

She says that she was encouraged to file the lawsuit after coincidentally encountering Simmons at a yoga class in March 2023, where his unapologetic demeanor (Do you think I’m gonna try and f*ck you?” she recalls him saying) revealed he didn’t feel any remorse, despite having been accused of multiple other assaults repeatedly in the prior six years. There have also been a slew of lawsuits filed against other powerful recording industry figures, including Sean “Diddy” Combs, that gave Doe the courage to issue the suit.

While the incident would normally have been past the statute of limitations, New York Adult Survivors Act and Gender Motivated Violence Act allow “lookback windows” in order to pursue such cases. Simmons was also called out by his daughters and ex-wife Kimora Lee on Father’s Day last year for abusiver behavior.

Nothing quite says “romance” like a viewing of Madame Web, the new Marvel-adjacent movie with an all-female cast. There is just something so endearing about listening to Dakota Johnson drone on about spiders and EMT stuff while also learning how to navigate her supernatural powers. That must be why the movie is coming out on Valentine’s Day!

Madame Web stars Johnson alongside Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Adam Scott. Johnson plays Cassandra Webb (like a spider web, keep up!), a paramedic in Manhattan who has clairvoyant abilities. She is forced to confront revelations about her past as she forges a relationship with three young women who share a similar destiny.

If you are planning on seeing Madame Web but want to optimize your time as much as possible for a Wednesday night (it’s a work night for crying out loud) then you will be thrilled to know that after the movie ends, there is no after credits scene, which is pretty unheard of for a superhero movie. This probably means we won’t be getting a Madam Web 2.

So whenever Johnson says her last unenthused line on the screen, you can dip out of that theater safely and unsuspectingly. Once you get home, you can stream Morbius now on Netflix.

Suits fever became the name of the streaming game in 2023. Who would have thought? Nobody, that’s who. The series was, of course, successful for nine seasons of its USA Network run, and its full-on streaming home is at Peacock, but Netflix has the first eight installments, and the reception has been almost ridiculously successful. Before too long, NBC couldn’t resist picking the property back up for a spinoff, which we have already heard will be set in Los Angeles.

As well, it’s understood that this will generally involve a new cast of characters, and a lead character is now in our midst. As reported by Variety, Stephen Amell is donning those threads. He was recently freed up after the Starz cancellation of Heels, and here’s a tiny tidbit about his character:

Stephen Amell is suiting up. The actor will lead NBC’s upcoming “Suits” spinoff, “Suits: LA,” portraying Ted Black, “a charismatic force of nature who puts his own needs above others.”

From there, will we see any original cast members return? There’s been no official confirmation or denial on that front. It’s difficult to imagine that Meghan Markle would ever want to rejoin the party, but with other cast members appearing in Suits-themed commercials and public appearances, some sort of crossover feels inevitable. In other words, fingers are crossed that Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, or any other ex-Suit-ers will eventually be onboard, if only for cameos. Stay tuned.

(Via Variety)

The search party to track Polo G’s whereabouts can officially be called off. Firstly, the “Barely Holdin’ On” rapper was spotted attending Uproxx’s 2024 Grammys The Labels Brunch, in partnership with Verve Records. However, there are still a few lingering questions from supporters.

Why was Polo G’s album Hood Poet delayed? When will Hood Poet officially drop? What’s next for Polo G? Well, thanks to Polo G’s latest post on Instagram, the public now knows the latter. According to the upload, this Friday, February 16, Polo G is back to business as usual with a new single titled “Sorrys & Ferraris.”

“Everybody say they sorrys now [black heart emoji],” he wrote. “S&F [out on] 2/16.”

It is unclear if this upcoming record will restart Polo G’s album rollout schedule. This song could just be a loosie to hold his famished fans, to which they will gladly nibble. But after some digging, it appears that the expected release date has been updated on Apple Music’s pre-save page for Hood Poet. The new date under the highly anticipated album is August 2. Still, Polo G hasn’t seemed to confirm this on any of his social media pages.

So, for now, Polo G fans will have to hold out until February 16 for more details.

“Sorrys & Ferraris” is out 2/16 via Sony. Find more information here.

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Usher took over the Super Bowl for a spectacular halftime show that featured appearances from Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and HER which came days after he announced his Past Present Future Tour. Beyoncé announced her Cécred line of hair care products and Tinashe stopped by the NPR Tiny Desk to perform her hits and deep cut records. Elsewhere, there’s a new Beyoncé wax figure, Leon Bridges covered Bob Marley’s “One Love,” and Dixson released a video for “Friends.”

Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:

Usher — Coming Home

Usher returned home for his first solo album since 2016. Coming Home arrived complete with 20 track sand appearances from Summer Walker, 21 Savage, HER, Latto, The-Dream, Burna Boy, Pheelz, and Jung Kook for a body of work that pulls from the best of Usher’s past to the present as a promise of good days to come in the future. “Coming Home is an ode to going back to your roots, whatever or wherever that may be,” Usher said about the album. “I’m Coming Home to where I’m comfortable in being exactly who I am right now.”

Tori Kelly – “High Water”

This spring, Tori Kelly will release her fifth album TORI., a project that delivers the full picture of a woman coming into her own. The rollout for it initially began with her 2023 EP tori and it continues with her resilient new single “High Water.” Speaking about the new single in a press release, Kelly said, “Now my hope is that [“high water”] will uplift others in whatever they might be going through and encourage them to keep going.”

T-Pain — “Dreaming”

T-Pain is in a bit of a resurgence at the moment and it’s in large part due to the success of his On Top of The Covers (Live From The Sun Rose) project. Coming off that, the beloved singer returns with the soaring “Dreaming” as his first release of 2024. T-Pain was inspired to release the song thanks to “all this new-found and rekindled T-Pain love all over the place,” so hopefully that means more is on the way.

Eric Bellinger — “Gang Slide” Feat. Mozzy

On March 1, Eric Bellinger will celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Rebirth with the release of the third installation, The Rebirth 3: The Party & The After Party. The latest single from that project pairs Bellinger with Mozzy as both artists share their desires to meet with a woman who they deeply desire a night with despite only interacting with them through Facetime.

Honey Bxby — “Fkn Him Too”

Everybody loves to watch some drama now and then and New Jersey singer Honey Bxby provides that with her new single “Fkn Him Too.” Led by a sample of SWV’s “I’m So Into You,” Honey Bxby boasts about sleeping with another woman’s man and makes it clear that she and the other woman in the question are sharing this man. Think of SZA’s “The Weekend,” but blunter and unapologetic.

Ye Ali — Ye Ali & Chill 3

For his first project in a couple of years, Ye Ali returns with a new installment in the Ye Ali & Chill series. The third installment delivers five songs in a highly collaborative effort thanks to appearances from Kenyon Dixon, Lyfe Harris, Dcmbr, Bleulilbaby, RyFy, and Arianna Reid. It’s that late-night music perfect for your romantic efforts, whatever they may be.

Taylor Belle — “Love Letters To Myself”

With Valentine’s Day just days away, LA singer Taylor Belle is making sure her listeners prioritize self-love over that from someone else with her new single. “Love Letters To Myself” captures the journey that brought Belle to this revelation while reflecting on the events that brought her to this point. All of it is driven by a chorus where she sings, “I’m writing love letters to myself, before I give them to anyone else.”

Eli Derby — “Her Type”

For his first release since his departure from LVRN, singer Eli Derby returns in a boastful mood with his new single “Her Type.” It’s a record he uses to show how perfect of a partner he is to the special woman in his life. His ability to treat her well, treat her to special gifts, and impress her with his ambitions are all things that play a role in him being “her type.”

Äyanna — “Girlfriend (London Girls Mix)” Feat. Tamera & Mnelia

LVRN signee Äyanna ended her 2023 year with the release of her In A Perfect World and now the East London and Jamaica native is back with a special remix of one of the project’s highlight songs. “Girlfriend” receives a “London Girls Mix” with new features from Mnelia and Tamera with the two girls adding a verse each to the song directed at a partner they want to make things official

Langston Bleu — “Fool’s Gold”

With Love Is A Luxury on the way, Atlanta singer Langston Bleu returns with the project’s second single “Fool’s Gold.” Co-written with country singer Brittney Spencer, the song captures the moment Bleu reached a breaking point with a lover. Questions about her intentions and disappointment about their relationship going to waste are the foundation of the song, and in the end, Langston walks away with a whole new outlook on the woman he once called his own.

Sakura — “California”

It appears that 2024 will be the year that Atlanta singer Sakura treats fans to new music and even a new project. Her return starts with her new single “California,” Sakura’s first release since her 2021 project Don’t Overthink It. The ethereal single finds Sakura admitting to being jealous of California and wishing that she could loved by her partner just as much as the West Coast state.

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

Female empowerment comes in many forms. Some people prefer to see the world explained through a Barbie-esque lens, while others identify more with tough female leads, like drug dealers and scammers. But what if you just want to feel empowered, as a woman, by punching people in the face? If you let that thought sit in your brain for three seconds you will realize it’s what you’ve been missing, and the solution is to watch Bottoms.

Bottoms is the beloved satirical comedy starring Bodies Bodies Bodies creator Rachel Sennott and Ireland’s honorary princess Ayo Edebiri as two gay teens who start a female “fight club” to meet their cheerleader crushes. NFL All-Pro running back Marshawn Lynch plays their teacher. There’s a student in a cage. It features acts of vandalism set to “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Again, don’t think about it for too long, just understand what it is and that it will make you a better person if you watch it. And now you can!

After months of waiting, Bottoms is finally available for streaming on Amazon Prime. If you like the movie enough to throw money at it, you can also purchase the film on Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, and all of the other usual suspects.

While the movie was snubbed for Best Movie, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Animated Feature (it’s live-action, but still), it still managed to become a hit amongst critics and hold a solid 90% rating on Rotton Tomatoes. It also landed on UPROXX’s Best Movies of 2023 list, so there’s some extra credibility there.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Ben Affleck has found his one true love. No, not his wife, Jennifer Lopez, or his long-time buddy and writing partner, Matt Damon. They know, deep down, they can’t compete with Dunkin’.

One of the best commercials to air during Super Bowl LVIII was any ad without the cursed E*TRADE baby playing pickleball. Especially Dunkin’s “The DunKings,” featuring Affleck forming a track suit-wearing boy band with Damon and Tom Brady, as an embarrassed J-Lo looks on. Also, Jack Harlow and Fat Joe are there. The coffee and donut chain has now released an extended version of the commercial, which comes in at nearly four and a half minutes. Affleck has never looked happier.

You can watch the full-length “The DunKings” ad above.

Back in 2019, Affleck was asked about his love of Dunkin’. “It’s amazing! I have Dunkin Donuts everyday,” he told Collider (I believe him). “It’s very weird, I have it every day and people are always like, ‘Where is that? Is that near here?’ So, I feel like I’m spreading the word.”

In another life, Affleck would have really liked just eating bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches and drinking Coolattas with you.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Ben Affleck has found his one true love. No, not his wife, Jennifer Lopez, or his long-time buddy and writing partner, Matt Damon. They know, deep down, they can’t compete with Dunkin’.

One of the best commercials to air during Super Bowl LVIII was any ad without the cursed E*TRADE baby playing pickleball. Especially Dunkin’s “The DunKings,” featuring Affleck forming a track suit-wearing boy band with Damon and Tom Brady, as an embarrassed J-Lo looks on. Also, Jack Harlow and Fat Joe are there. The coffee and donut chain has now released an extended version of the commercial, which comes in at nearly four and a half minutes. Affleck has never looked happier.

You can watch the full-length “The DunKings” ad above.

Back in 2019, Affleck was asked about his love of Dunkin’. “It’s amazing! I have Dunkin Donuts everyday,” he told Collider (I believe him). “It’s very weird, I have it every day and people are always like, ‘Where is that? Is that near here?’ So, I feel like I’m spreading the word.”

In another life, Affleck would have really liked just eating bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches and drinking Coolattas with you.

Back in September 2023, Hasan Minhaj saw his chances of becoming the new The Daily Show host (and possibly his whole career) go up in flames after a damaging New Yorker article revealed that the comedian had embellished personal details about his life in his standup act. The most egregious instances were a story about his daughter receiving anthrax in the mail and a racist encounter involving his date to a homecoming dance.

At the time, Comedy Central simply said that the network was expanding its search “beyond Minhaj,” but a later report from Puck News claimed that Minhaj actually had the gig locked down until the New Yorker scandal stopped the process dead in its tracks. Now, former Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. is corroborating that story.

During a recent appearance on Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out podcast, Wood Jr. confirmed that the New Yorker article is “why everything fell apart.”

Via Entertainment Weekly:

“As far as I was told, Hasan was going to be the guy,” Wood said, noting that his initial reaction was, “Okay, cool, so I’ll hang out here the rest of the year, and we’ll see what Hasan wants to do, what his vision is, whether I fit in that. I’m still trying to sell my own sitcom, trying to write movies, there’s other s— I wanna do, but let’s see.”

“The New Yorker article comes out, and then the buzz is there’s a shift at Comedy Central in whether or not Hasan is still going to be the guy,” Wood said. “Which eventually turned into he’s not going to be the guy.”

Wood also revealed that the decision to abandon Minhaj led to Comedy Central having no idea what it was going to do with The Daily Show, and that’s when he decided to make his exit.

“In my opinion, they couldn’t articulate adequately enough for me what that process would be and whether or not I fit into that process,” he said.

We know that Comedy Central’s big move was to bring back Jon Stewart, but that surprise decision happened rather quickly after Stewart walked away from Apple TV. By that point, Wood was already gone and making moves for his post-Daily Show life.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Willie Nelson isn’t the only entertainer with a slew of friends ready to hit the stage with him. Yesterday (February 12), music legend Mavis Staples announced her plans to commemorate her 85th birthday.

Thanks to the singer’s partnership with Blackbird Presents, fans are invited to join the festivities through her all-star concert show. On Thursday, April 18, Staples and her signature vocals will take over Inglewood, California’s YouTube Theater. But Staples is not alone. So far, the performance’s lineup comprises Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Black Pumas, The War And Treaty, Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy, and Norah Jones. There are whispers that the talent list is expected to grow. But even deeper than that, from what was released, each musician was picked for sentimental reasons. All have expressed being influenced by Staples’ work across genres.

Other confirmed performers include Grace Potter, Keb’ Mo’, Jackson Browne, Michael McDonald, Nathaniel Rateliff, Robert Randolph, and Taj Mahal.

In a statement, Blackbird Presents CEO/Chief Creative Officer, Keith Wortman, gushed about the upcoming concert. “Producing this show is the honor of my life,” he said. “As we all come together to celebrate a woman whom has given so much to so many over the years through her actions, her music, and her magic.”

The public sale for Mavis Staples’ 85th All-Star Birthday Concert starts on Friday, February 16, at 10 a.m. PT. Find more information here.