Month: April 2024

It appears another feud in rap has risen to the surface. After expressing her wish for Cardi B and Nicki Minaj to end their longstanding beef, GloRilla unintentionally found herself in a dust-up.

Yesterday (April 5), the “Wanna Be” rapper’s new mixtape Ehhthang Ehhthang hit streaming platforms. On the track “Aite,” GloRilla attempted to kill off a rumor that she and City Girls’ JT had tension by rapping, “I just pray one day the bad b*tches would come together / ‘Cause Cardi and Nicki on a track would break some f*ckin’ records / Me and JT ain’t the best of friends but we ain’t beefin’ / Know b*tches always hatin’ and that they keep a secret.”

However, JT didn’t take kindly to being mentioned on the record. In a response on X (formerly Twitter), the musician took a moment to deny claims that she and GloRilla were involved in a physical altercation, which is at the root of the beef rumors. “I been said she didn’t,” she wrote. “[GloRilla is] the one who went radio silent! [She] played into it and released a song about slapping rap b*tches. Now, it’s female unity? CORNY!”

After this, both ladies began to exchange heated shots. Although GloRilla’s responses have since been deleted, users online have begun to post screenshots of the removed posts. See the exchange below courtesy of the Female Rap Room.

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

A rematch from last year’s Final Four will determine this year’s national champion. After South Carolina handled business against NC State earlier in the evening in Cleveland, Iowa overcame a double-digit deficit in the first half to take down UConn and punch their ticket to the national title game on Sunday.

Despite an off shooting night from Caitlin Clark, the Hawkeyes were able to lean on Hannah Stuelke as their superstar struggled to find her shot. Stuelke’s presence inside — she scored 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting from the field and 5-for-7 shooting from the free throw line — gave Clark a chance to find her rhythm in the second half, where she scored 15 of her 21 points. In addition to that, Clark had nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.

In the game’s final minute with Iowa up, 70-66, it looked like UConn was preparing to play the foul game. Instead, it set up a crazy final 53 seconds, as the Huskies were able to force a turnover near midcourt that led to a Nika Muhl triple.

The Hawkeyes came down and tried to get the ball to Stuelke, but she turned the ball over and opened the door for the Huskies to pull off an upset. After a timeout, Geno Auriemma drew up a play to presumably get a look for Paige Bueckers, but a controversial foul call on Aaliyah Edwards gave the ball back to Iowa that drew the ire of LeBron James and Kelsey Plum.

Clark split a pair of free throws, but Sydney Affolter was able to come down with the ball. And after the tie-up, the possession arrow kept the ball on Iowa’s end of the floor, which opened the door for Clark to kill some clock by throwing the ball off of Bueckers’ back.

Iowa now moves on to take on South Carolina with a national title on the line. Last year, the two teams met in the Final Four in a game the Hawkeyes won, 77-73.

Kurt Cobain‘s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, took to Instagram to share a vulnerable post in honor of her late father passing thirty years ago today.

She shared a slideshow, including one of Kurt’s hands taken by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and images of her with him growing up. As she pointed out, it was some of the last moments that she shared with him.

“In the last 30 years, my ideas around loss have been in a continuous state of metamorphosing,” Frances Bean wrote in the caption. “The biggest lesson learned through grieving for almost as long as I’ve been conscious is that it serves a purpose. The duality of life & death, pain & joy, yin & yang, need to exist alongside each other or none of this would have any meaning.”

“It is the impermanent nature of human existence which throws us into the depths of our most authentic lives,” she added. “As It turns out, there is no greater motivation for leaning into loving awareness than knowing everything ends.”

Later in her caption, she made note of the emotional fact that she wished she could’ve known him, down to the tiniest aspects, like “how he liked his coffee.” However, she also holds the memory of him and is keeping those who are also grieving in her thoughts.

Check out Frances Bean Cobain’s tribute post to her father Kurt below.

Olivia Rodrigo kicked off the first of her Guts World Tour shows at NYC’s Madison Square Garden tonight (April 5) — and had a surprise in store for fans. During her set, she brought out Noah Kahan and the two did a duet of his song “Stick Season.”

“Olivia Rodrigo is such a special talent and person and I just can’t thank her and her band and team for inviting me to sing tonight,” Kahan posted on Twitter shortly after taking the stage. “You deserve it all @oliviarodrigo.”

A few months ago, Rodrigo covered Kahan’s hit for her appearance on BBC Live Lounge. Now, in just a couple days, the two will be releasing it on vinyl as part of a Record Store Day exclusive. Tonight is helping fans get even more excited to pick it up at a local store on April 20. More information about that can be found here.

Kahan has also been a documented fan of Rodrigo, as he described her “Lacy” song as something that’s “so beautiful and it highlights what I love so much about Olivia’s lyricism, it’s very dynamic and it just makes you feel an emotion we’ve all experienced before.”

Check out Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan performing “Stick Season” together at Madison Square Garden here.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are one win away from basketball immortality. On Friday night in Cleveland, Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks went into the locker room in a close one against NC State in the Final Four, then spent the game’s final 20 minutes pouring it on en route to a 78-59 win and a berth in the national championship game.

With the win, South Carolina moved to 37-0 on the year — last season, they entered the Final Four with an undefeated record before losing to Caitlin Clark and Iowa. That team was led by Aliyah Boston, who was in attendance on Friday night as part as ESPN’s coverage of the Final Four. After the win, the Indiana Fever star interviewed her college coach in one of the better decisions anyone has made this weekend, as it gave us an absolutely incredible interview where Boston wanted to talk about the win and Staley couldn’t stop saying how proud she was of her former player.

It’s such a cool moment, and it’s great that Staley used it as an opportunity to praise her former national player of the year. Once this interview ended, Staley presumably started to prepare for Sunday, where the Gamecocks will take on either UConn or Iowa.

How are some people able to upgrade from economy to first class on a commercial air flight? A flight attendant who goes by the name of Cierra Mistt on TikTok recently shared the secrets in a viral video.

According to the Salt Lake City-based flight attendant, there are two ways to get into first class for free. One tactic is for overbooked flights, and the other is for flights with a lot of empty seats.

1. Not-full flight: Sit in the very last row

“On flights that aren’t full, we normally have to move passengers for weight and balance purposes, and when we do that, it’s normally from back to front. If that’s the case, the flight attendants are going to move people from the very last row to the front so that they can sit down there after doing their service because it’s a lot more comfy to sit in those passenger seats than it is in the jump seat,” Misty reveals.

2. Overbooked flight: Name your price

You will know you are on an overbooked flight if the flight attendant announces they are compensating passengers to change their booking. If you’re interested, Misty advises that you don’t take their initial offer but make your own demands. She swears it works nearly every time.

“First, go to the gate agent. Second, give them a price and say that you want that in cash,” [name said]. “When the gate agent is rebooking you for that next flight, make sure that they put you in first class to compensate for the time that you’re losing because you had to get kicked from that flight. Over 99% of the time this works.”

@cierra_mistt

flight attendant secrets- how to get FREE upgrades to FIRST CLASS (p 1) ✈️

As the baby boomer generation reaches their “golden years,” many of them are starting to think about what to do with their earthly possessions, much to the chagrin of some of their Gen X, millennial and Gen Z descendants.

How many of us really want to take over our grandma’s collection of dolls or plates when we have no interest in collecting ourselves? How many people have homes filled with furniture we actually like, only to be offered antiques and heirlooms that we have neither the desire nor room for? What about china sets, artwork and other things our elders have loved that they want to see passed down in the family that no one in the family really wants?

It’s a delicate road to navigate, as a post on X illustrated. Jodi-Ann Quarrie shared a screenshot of a story a man shared about his wife fighting with his mother-in-law about the china sets she wanted her children to have. She had four adult children and four sets of china for them to divvy amongst themselves, but all four kids refused. An argument ensued about how none of the china had ever been used, even on special occasions, and culminated in the wife telling the mother-in-law that she was going to use the plates as frisbees after she dies.

People’s reactions to the story were mixed. Some pointed out that there’s no reason for someone to say something so cruel to a family member (or anyone, for that matter). Others felt that the mother-in-law was being unreasonable by not accepting no for an answer.

This is going to be a sad story for so many families. People are saving mahogany dining sets, breakfronts full of exquisite glasses and plates, and whole sets of silverware for their children who do not want, need, or have a place to put them.

— (@)

Extreme as the story may have been, there is a clear generational divide between the post-Depression era folks who think passing down heirlooms is generous and the generations that are accustomed to replacing things every few years because of planned obsolescence. There is also a divide between people who attach their life story to their belongings to the point that if their things aren’t valued then neither are they, and people who don’t tie memories or sentimentality to material things at all.

How do we bridge these divides? Each family dynamic and situation is different, of course, but here are four principles to keep in mind if you’re on the receiving end of an heirloom offer you don’t really want.

1) Don’t diminish the value—either monetary or sentimental—of what an elder is offering.

These things may mean nothing to you, but they obviously mean something to the person who wants you to have. There’s no need to hurt their feelings by being brazen about how their outdated furniture isn’t really worth anything anymore or to point out that you have no emotional attachment to it. That all might be true, but is it necessary to share that with someone who is nearing the end of their life and feeling sentimental? No. It doesn’t meant you have to take it, either, but a little empathy, even if it’s not how you would feel about your own belongings, goes a long way.

2) If they’re trying to give you something now and you really don’t want it or have room for it, offer alternatives.

It’s perfectly reasonable to tell a loved one that on a practical level you simply don’t have the space for something. What the person usually wants is to know that a piece of them is going to be carried on as a physical memory and proof of their existence, so offer them a way to do that in a way that works for you.

Try something like this: “I would love to have something of yours that is meaningful that we can pass down, but we already have all the furniture we are able to manage—is there something like a piece of jewelry or a photo album or something else that we could pick out together as an heirloom for our side of the family?”

@notyourleader @yooneedmorejodi I’m really sorry you’re having this problem. Do you think she could hear something like, “That’s so kind of you, but I’d rather you kept it here for now, so I can see it with you. It just means so much more, seeing you and it together.”nnIt’s a tough problem.

— (@)

3) Be kind about their wishes while they’re still here.

It’s not easy getting older, and people’s feelings about their life and death are worthy of consideration and compassion. If it brings an older person joy to see belongings they value being passed down while they’re still alive, it might be worth letting them have that joy. Again, they might just want to know that their memory is going to live on.

It’s difficult for us to imagine what it’s like to be old when we’re young, but it’s not too hard to understand the desire to be remembered. That desire manifests differently for different people. Kindness can look like taking the items with gratitude and waiting until they pass away to give them away. It can also be gently refusing them for now, telling them it makes you happy to see them enjoying their things, and reassuring them that you’ll make sure their items are taken care of when they’re no longer here. (Taking care of doesn’t mean keeping, but they don’t necessarily need to know that detail. Honesty must be balanced with tact and thoughtfulness here.)

@baker_tricia @yooneedmorejodi That was the kind and loving thing to do.

— (@)

4) You are not obligated to hold onto something someone gave you, especially after they are gone. (But also, stay open to the idea that you might want to.)

No one is obligated to hold onto anything they don’t really want. You also don’t have to tell the person that you’re not planning to keep their stuff—let them be at peace about it while they’re here. It’s perfectly okay to let go of their material things after they’re gone. It’s highly unlikely that they’re going to care at that point.

However, it’s also wise to stay open to the idea that you might actually want some of the things a loved one gives you after they pass. We never know how grief and loss are going to impact us, regardless of our relationship with someone, and sometimes people regret getting rid of all of their family members’ belongings too quickly. It might be wise to just say yes to some things for now (if you are able to) and then decide what to do with them later.

Again, every situation is different, so these principles may or may not apply perfectly to your own circumstances, but the central message is to be kind and compassionate. We all have a limited amount of time here that shouldn’t be wasted fighting over material things.

In April 2022, comedian Pardis Parker performed a five-minute set at the global TED Conference in Vancouver, Canada, where he admitted he’s “terrified of wanting to be a billionaire.” The performance was a funny and bold, statement in a culture obsessed with the ultra-wealthy.

Parker’s fear of becoming a billionaire began after he left Canada for Los Angeles. “I think the biggest difference between Canada and L.A. is the extent to which people in L.A. fetishize wealth,” Parker said.

“I’m terrified, man. I’m terrified that L.A. is changing me that I’m becoming one of those people who chases money, who fetishizes wealth who wants to be a billionaire,” he continued. “When I say that people get angry they get defensive. They’re like, ‘What’s wrong with being rich? What’s wrong with being a billionaire? What’s wrong with being financially savvy?’ It’s just like yo man, if you own a billion of anything that doesn’t make you savvy, that makes you a hoarder.

He then points out that billionaires are just as quickly forgotten as anyone else. “There’s 2,668 billionaires on the planet right now. Name them. You can’t, and that’s while they’re still alive,” Parker joked.

Parker finishes his chunk by sharing how almost everyone can leave a legacy long after they’re gone. For example, give kids a full-size candy bar on Halloween. “That’s it, that’s it. Legacy cemented. It’s been 30 years since I went trick-or-treating and me and my brother still talk about 39 Grenon.”

Parker’s stand-up routine presents a fun way of rethinking what it means to be rich and leave a legacy and he’s right. In the end, people will probably forget those who impressed them with their wealth, but they’ll never forget someone who made them feel good.

Doorbell cameras offer us candid glimpses into the best and worst parts of humanity. Everything from package theft to funny off-the-cuff-rants to sagely life advice has been captured and shared to remind us that life is indeed neither fully good nor bad.

Luckily, this doorbell cam story definitely falls into the heartwarming, feel-good category.

A compilation video posted to TikTok by a woman named Katie Brooke Newton shows her neighbors offering cute pregnancy updates every time they pass by her apartment. And, as one viewer aptly noted, it gives perfect “This is Us” vibes.

Most of the clip shows the mom-to-be staring straight into the camera saying “still pregnant” with a shrug. But then at the end, we see the couple walking up the stairs to their apartment, and the woman, hospital bracelets around her wrist, delivers her final line: “We had the baby.”

The dad then holds the baby up to the camera and quips “not pregnant” instead of “still pregnant.” All the while, the song “Bundle of Joy” from Disney’s “Inside Out” plays in the background.

Thrilled, Newton captioned “Thank you @Ring for helping capture this. Welcome home next door baby!!!”

Watch:

@katiebrookenewton Thank you @Ring for helping capture this 🥹😭 welcome home next door baby!!! #ring #newborn #pregnant #duedate ♬ Bundle of Joy (From “Inside Out”) – Benny Martin

The video has racked up nearly 30 million views, and thousands wrote in to say that this should be an actual Ring door cam commercial.

Another viewer noted “I feel like I just watched a Pixar film.”

Newton told Today.com that the sweet viral moment spawned from an earlier interaction she had with the mom, named Sydney Melton.

“I ran into her the day after her due date and said, ‘I’m so tempted to check my Ring camera every time I get a notification that there’s movement at my door because I am curious if it’s you guys running out with your hospital bags ready to go be in labor,’” she told Today.com.

Trevor Melton, Sydney’s husband, also shared that the surprisingly wholesome viral response has given him a new outlook on social media.

“I don’t have social media at all. And my wife has Instagram but she doesn’t use it very often. Oftentimes, I feel that social media can be something that’s really divisive and destructive. I feel like this kind of has made me almost second guess that or see the beauty of it.”

Yes, we might live in a fairly disconnected world. But the opportunities to form connections are there, often in plain sight.

One of the weirder things about being a human is that we rarely ever get to see our actual selves. Even if we look into a mirror, we’re seeing a backward reflection, a reverse image, not what other people see. (Hence the popularity of the “true mirror,” which sometimes makes people cry when they see what they really look like.)

Photos certainly don’t help. All it takes is one bad angle, some off lighting, a distorting camera lens or an unflattering split-second facial expression to have us wondering, “OMG is that what I really look like?”

No, it’s not. Because the truth is, beauty and body image messaging aside, we are all uniquely gorgeous in our own way and photos rarely captures our true essence. Some of that can’t be helped, but there are ways we can get closer to that goal. After all, photographs of us will last long beyond our bodies, so wouldn’t it be nice if we could confidently say to our descendants, “Yeah, that was me, in all my human glory”?

While a photograph will always fall short of the real you, here are some tips for making pictures that capture your best essence as much as possible, whether you’re taking a selfie or someone else is behind the camera.

1. Relax.

Easier said than done, I know, but most of us tend to stiffen up for photos. Shake your body out. Roll your shoulders. It only takes a couple of seconds to consciously let go of the tension, and it can make a huge difference in how the camera captures you.

2. Think of something genuinely joyful.

If you need to smile for a photo, stop thinking about smiling, and just think of something that always makes you smile. Better yet, think of something hilarious to get yourself smile-laughing. The best smiles are real smiles, and real smiles aren’t poses—they come from within.

3. Turn your head to the right.

It’s hard enough to make a 3D face into a 2D image and do it justice, so might as well take advantage of all the little tricks to capture the best of our faces. Research shows that the left side of our faces is usually the more flattering side, so why not make the most of it? And this isn’t just about looking better on the surface. The left cheek shows more emotion—or in other words, the realer you.

4. Lean in.

Not only does leaning forward create more flattering angles for the camera, it also draws people into your photo. There’s some subtle psychology behind this advice, but it works. It makes your face the focal point of the picture, which is what you want.

5. Look with love—and light—in your eyes

Remember that when you look at the camera, you’re not actually looking at a camera—you’re looking at a person who will someday be looking at you. So take a second to picture them and look at them with love (not talking romantic love, here—human love, philia love, agape love). You’ll be amazed at how much more real you appear in photos with this one simple mindset shift.

Also, try to make sure there’s a light source in front of you, whether it’s a window or a lamp, to catch the twinkle in your eye. We see people’s eyes twinkle all the time in real life, but photos only capture that if there’s a light source.

6. Take lots and lots of photos.

It’s not vain to take lots of photos, it’s smart, since you’ll have a much greater chance of actually getting a pic that represents you if you take a bunch of them. Change poses and expressions in between takes. And don’t be afraid to move around—we look better and more natural when we’re in motion anyway.

7. Don’t be afraid of editing

Too many people believe that editing a photograph somehow makes the photo less real. It’s actually the opposite. The goal is to capture what our eyes see, but no camera captures exactly what our eyes see. Professional photographers almost always edit photos; in fact, it’s a huge part of the art of photography. Even in the old pre-digital days of darkrooms, photographers used various techniques to adjust lighting and exposure as they processed their images, and photo retouching has been around since the mid-1800s.

Obviously, applying a totally unrealistic beauty filter to your face isn’t the ideal here, but adjusting the exposure, brightness, warmth, etc. to make a photo look more like you and not you-in-bad-lighting is 100% okay. Just remember you are editing to make it feel more like you, not look less like the real you.