Month: April 2024

Conan O’Brien wrote for the series that coined the phrase “worst episode ever.” But on Thursday, he went on Hot Ones and made it the show’s “best episode ever.”

The former talk show host, who made his glorious return to The Tonight Show earlier in the week, appeared in the season finale of the web series in which celebrities nibble on chicken wings with a small amount of hot sauce on them — or in Conan’s case, guzzle the spicy stuff like a maniac.

Early in the interview, Conan confessed, “I grew up in an Irish house. An Irish Catholic home in Boston. I never saw a spice till I was about 52 years old. So I’m terrible with hot food. I grew up on tasteless food. So this is a whole new experience for me.” Before long, however, he boasted, “I don’t think there’s a wing here that I can’t eat like it’s ice cream. Seriously, I don’t think there’s a wing on this table that I cannot devour like it’s cool whipped cream!”

Conan regretted those words when he took a swig from an extremely spicy hot sauce. “I’m fine! I’m perfectly f*cking fine!” he shouted at host Sean Evans with chicken grease and sauce all over his face.

It’s the kind of committed-to-the-bit chaos that only Conan can provide. Here are some highlights:

When he wasn’t smearing hot sauce on his face, Conan provided insight on the worst thing a talk show guest can do.

“Tell the audience it’s not going well,” he said. “I‘ve seen it happen many times, it’s an amateur move because the host can do a lot to let people think it’s going great even if it’s not… [the] audience wants to see a good show, they want to see a good interview and I was always amazed when someone would come out and they’d be doing OK… and then would just go, ‘This just isn’t going well, is it?’… you look out at the audience and it be 200 people sitting there and I’d see 200 souls leave 200 bodies cause they were just told they were not getting a good show.”

You can watch the video below.

Steven and Ian open by talking about J. Cole’s botched diss track targeted at Kendrick Lamar. Is it lame to record a diss track and immediately apologize? Or is this actually a sign of personal growth? From there, the guys talk about the slumping ticket sales for Coachella. Is this a temporary bump or is the festival headed for a permanent downturn?

The guys also check in with the Fantasy Album Draft, with the release of new records by Maggie Rogers, Shabaka Hutchings, and Nia Archives. They also talk about early contenders for Album Of The Year from Q1-ish of 2024, including Waxahatchee, Vampire Weekend, and Mannequin Pussy. In the mailbag, there are two yay-or-nay questions on two very different bands: Khruangbin and Our Lady Peace.

In Recommendation Corner, Ian talks about the screamo band Heavenly Blue and Steven recommends the new documentary Lost Angel: The Genius Of Judee Sill.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 184 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.

It appears J. Cole has chosen a side. Tonight (April 12), Future and Metro Boomin dropped We Still Don’t Trust You, the second installment of their joint album series. The album arrives three weeks after the release of their first collaborative album, We Don’t Trust You which features the controversial song “Like That” with Kendrick Lamar. On Lamar’s verse of like that, he notably says “Motherf*ck the big three / it’s just big me,” which many listeners thought was a shot to J Cole and Drake.

J Cole has since responded with “7 Minute Drill,” which was featured on his new mixtape Might Delete Later. Cole later walked his diss back and apologized to Lamar. Tonight, Cole made a surprise appearance on “Red Leather” on We Still Don’t Trust You.

Given recent events, Cole’s feature on the song has left fans divided, as some are interpreting his bars as a diss toward Drake.

“My energy was never on some toughest n***a sh*t / I was just a conscious rapper who would f*ck a n***a b*tch…blicks get to blasting / I turn into a track star,” Cole raps on his verse.

Though no direct shots were fired, the fact that Cole had dissed Lamar earlier in the week, apologized for the aforementioned diss, and then joined the party that was allegedly dissing Drake — all within the course of a week — tells fans everything they need to know.

You can listen to “Red Leather” above.

We Still Don’t Trust You is out now via Epic Records/Boominati Worldwide/Republic Records. Find more information here.

Tinashe is teasing the next chapter of BB/Ang3l. Earlier this week, the innovative LA native announced Quantam Baby the second installment of her BB/Ang3l series. Tonight (April 12), Tinashe shared “Nasty,” her pleasantly randy new single.

Over a punchy, futuristic beat, Tinashe lays down the law to unleash the super freak — the contender must match her energy.

“Is somebody gonna match my freak / Need somebody with a good technique? Is somebody gonna match my nasty? / Pillow talking got my throat raspy,” she rap-sings on the song’s opening verse.

“This is that all summer long kinda BOP! It’s meant to make you feel sexy, confident, let loose and maybe even unleash some of that sluttiness inside you,” said Tinashe of the song in a statement.” We all need a daily reminder that we are our own muses, here’s the inspiration to embrace it.”

As is expected with Tinashe, the accompanying visual for “Nasty” features next-level choreography as she and her equally talented dancers turn up the heat in the desert.

The song and video arrive ahead of Tinashe’s Coachella performances this weekend and next.

In the meantime, you can see the video for “Nasty” above.

Tinashe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Chlöe’s rhythmic reign continues. Tonight (April 12), the stellar R&B act has shared her new single, “Boy Bye,” after teasing it for the past week.

When speaking of the song in a statement, Chlöe described “Boy Bye” as “an anthem for anyone who needs to get rid of someone toxic and draining from their life. It’s liberating and free.” Over an energetic, dance-ready beat, Chlöe has decided that she’s done putting up with a man’s sh*t. Unafraid to let go and start anew, she gives this man the ultimate kiss-off.

“I was always loyal, always takin’ the fall / When we were together you were never involved / If we bein’ honest, it was never my fault / You just gave a little while I gave you my all,” sings Chlöe on the song’s chorus.

In the accompanying video, Chlöe is seen emerging from a trailer, and she’s ready to hand it to a deceitful ex. After cussing him out, Chlöe embarks on a road trip with her girlfriends, letting go of all the pain and heartache. As she grows empowered, the video makes a surprising turn. But as the credits roll, we see who she does it all for — those persevering through a broken heart.

You can see the video for “Boy Bye” above.

The New Orleans Pelicans have a gigantic game on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings, and midway through the second quarter, Zion Williamson had to make his way into the locker room after breaking a fall with his hands and tweaking his wrist. Fortunately for the Pelicans, Williamson was ok, and was able to return to the game after halftime.

During the break, the Inside the NBA guys discussed Williamson picking up a knock, which led to a bit of advice from Charles Barkley about how to handle these situations. Barkley claimed that when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team practiced how to “fall on your ass,” which Shaquille O’Neal demanded to see immediately. Being the man of the people that he is, Chuck proceeded to walk in front of the desk and do it, which led to some absolutely terrific television.

The thing is this is legitimately informative by Barkley — it’s a good bit of advice on how to avoid an injury when you’re hitting the deck — but there is also zero chance that Charles Barkley practicing how to fall on his ass on live television wouldn’t be funny. As such, Shaq absolutely lost his mind over this, with both himself and Kenny Smith giving him a round of applause for this demonstration.

From the moment word broke that John Calipari would be leaving the Kentucky Wildcats for the Arkansas Razorbacks, basketball observers have kept a close eye on the coaching search in Lexington. Kentucky reportedly pursued both Baylor’s Scott Drew and UConn’s Dan Hurley (fresh off two straight national titles), only to be rebuffed in both instances.

Ultimately, Matt Norlander of CBS Sports noted that the Wildcats zeroed in on BYU head coach and former Kentucky player Mark Pope to replace Calipari, but Kentucky also reportedly made contact with Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan.

Kyle Tucker of The Athletic reports that Donovan spurned the advances and “decided not to pursue the UK opening.” Notably, Donovan was a top-tier college coach before leaving for the NBA, earning back-to-back national titles at another SEC school in Florida. The timing is also quite interesting here, as the Bulls are still in the postseason mix and preparing for an NBA Play-In Tournament game next week against the Atlanta Hawks.

Overall, it is not at all surprising that Kentucky would give Donovan a call, even if only to gauge interest. In fact, the Wildcats reportedly pursued Donovan on two other occasions in the past, before hiring Billy Gillespie and also prior to hiring Calipari more than a decade ago. Since then, Donovan has transitioned to the NBA for nine seasons and, while nothing indicates he has slammed the door on college forever, it does not appear as if he’s ready to go back just yet.

The story continues. Tonight (April 12), Future and Metro Boomin are set to drop their second joint album, We Still Don’t Trust You. The album arrives just three weeks after their previous joint album, We Don’t Trust You.

If this album is as good as the last one — which featured catchy bangers like “Runnin’ Out Of Time,” “Type Sh*t,” and the controversial Kendrick Lamar-assisted “Like That” — then fans are in for a real treat. Ahead of the drop, Future and Metro Boomin took to social media to share the album’s hotly anticipated tracklist.

We Still Don’t Trust You features 18 new songs, though Future and Metro haven’t revealed the album’s collaborators yet. But as the two powerhouses’ reign continues, we know we’re guaranteed some hits.

You can see the We Still Don’t Trust You tracklist below.

1. “We Still Don’t Trust You”
2. “Drink N Dance”
3. “Out Of My Hands”
4. “Jealous”
5. “This Sunday”
6. “Luv Bad Bitches”
7. “Amazing (Interlude)”
8. “All To Myself”
9. “Nights Like This”
10. “Came To The Right Party”
11. “Right For You”
12. “Mile High Memories”
13. “Overload”
14. “Gracious”
15. “Beat It”
16. “Always Be My Fault”
17. “One Big Family”
18. “Red Leather”

We Still Don’t Trust You is out 4/12 via Epic Records/Boominati Worldwide/Republic Records. Find more information here.

Nobody wants to think about what happens if their child’s other parent dies unexpectedly. It’s not a pleasant topic but unfortunately it is something that happens sometimes and parents have to do their best to pick up the pieces after such a tragic loss. One mom, had the unfortunate experience of living through this tragedy and she took to social media to explain the steps she took to prepare for this day.

Kelsey Pumel, a multi-hyphenate TikTok creator recently had to help her young daughter process the unexpected loss of her biological father. Pumel and Kobe’s father were never married and had broken up years prior but she admits to carrying a life insurance policy on him. The topic was brought up when her viewers informed her that she should file for social security death benefits to assist with the financial responsibility of caring for Kobe.

That’s when the mom of five revealed that she took out a life insurance policy on Kobe’s father when she was pregnant for multiple reasons.

“I have gotten many rude comments about the life insurance and some wild accusations made but I’m going to say this and I need y’all to hear me. If you have a child with somebody, you should have life insurance one that person, period,” Pumel says. “If something were to happen, you’re going to get that kickback of money to help you either raise your kids or to make up for the income that is now missing.”

In a follow up video she clarifies that you do need the other person’s consent in order to take out the policy. Pumel also answers the question on what she’s doing with the insurance money after the death of her child’s father.

“When I first got the money, I did take a chunk of it and I paid off all of my student loans, now stick with me. Why did I do that? Well, I had about $95K worth of student loans, my interest was over $6K a year. I wasn’t even cutting any of it down trying to pay it with that type of interest.” She reveals after talking it over with her dad who was helping pay the loans.

“So we came up with a payment plan that pays the entire $95K plus interest back to Kobe, paying it monthly into a 529 Plan, which is a college fund for her. So all that money will go into that plan for her. If she doesn’t go to college or doesn’t use all of it, it will be kicked over in an investment account that she will be able to pull at retirement age.”

@growingwithkelsey

Replying to @bossyasf83 Correct me if im wrong about SS benefits but thats what I was told. But Kobe is going to be alright! I promise you I am getting her the brightest future possible set up! ♥️🫶🏼 #lifeinsurance

Not only is Pumel making sure Kobe has money to retire with, she’s taking some of the money and putting it into a high yield account for her daughter. She also plans to buy a real estate property that will go to the little girl when she turns 18. Really, Pumel has thought of everything she could to make sure her daughter is set up to be financially secure her entire life.

While no one wishes for their children to experience the death of a parent before their time, this mom proves that having a life insurance policy on a coparent is simply a smart choice. Parents in the comments are applauding her for talking about this so openly.

@growingwithkelsey

Replying to @ohitsamber84 There are so many ways to set up an financial future for your children without big chunks of money! I strongly recommend talking with a financial advisor if you have kids and seeing what options you may have to ensure them a strong future. ♥️🫶🏼

“And BOOM that is how generational wealth is made baby! Good for you mama,” one person says.

“Girl your daughter may not understand now. But when she gets older she will thank you immensely,” another writes.

“That’s perfect! Exactly what she’ll need! Car, college, house…set her up to have no debt,” someone else proclaims.

Imagine walking down the street, minding your own business, when a complete stranger unfurls a red carpet at your feet. What do you do? Awkwardly avoid it and continue along your route? Tell the person off for not respecting boundaries? Or do you wholeheartedly accept the impromptu invitation and strut your best stuff?

For the passersby of Belfast, option three was the only choice.

Alan Wallace, who routinely posts uplifting videos that “share the warmth” of his hometown over on TikTok, recently added a video of himself going up to random folks on the street and giving them a moment to shine. And let’s just say, they nailed it.

Folks from all walks of life—including a construction worker that could be Michael Sheen’s doppelgänger—lit up at the opportunity to catwalk, skateboard, cartwheel and even do the worm down the crimson strip.

In a mere matter of seconds, we see all that humanity has to offer—humor, free expression, joy, inclusivity, connection. Such powerful stuff shown in the simplest way.

Even if the moment wasn’t quite as spontaneous as the video makes it appear (Wallace likely asked for permission before rolling the carpet out each time) these people still agreed to play. And that’s what’s magical about it.

“Everyone understood the assignment, from young to old, it was perfect,” one viewer wrote.

@inspiringbelfast Red carpet for strangers in Belfast #inspiringbelfast #belfastcity #belfast #heartwarming ♬ Beautiful Things (Sped Up) – Benson Boone

It’s natural for most people to not want to interact with strangers. And of course there are legitimate safety reasons influencing this instinct. But a lot of the time our avoidance comes from expecting things to be unenjoyable. And yet, research shows not only that people are often pleasantly surprised by how much connection, kindness, belonging and optimism they end up experiencing.

So maybe we don’t need a red carpet to simply enjoy saying hi to someone we meet on the street and reaping the benefits. But hey, it certainly helps.