Month: June 2024

The person who coined the phrase, “all you need is love,” didn’t meet Kendrick Lamar. Although the “Euphoria” rapper receives more than enough praises from fans and peers alike, users online have joked that he’s currently running off of his pure hatred of Drake.

Today (June 22), Kendrick was spotted in his hometown Compton, California, reportedly filming a music video for “Not Like Us.”

The chart-topping Drake diss track has been unofficially declared the “song of the summer,” and Kendrick’s The Pop Out: Ken & Friends Juneteenth concert presented by Amazon Music, demonstrated why.

Despite being filmed in the public, details surrounding the video shoot have remained under wraps. However, if it is anything like his June 19 show, you should expect to see tons of guest cameos from across industries, including the song’s producer Mustard, Kendrick’s former Black Hippy collaborators (Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q), basketball stars LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and DeMar DeRozan, plus so many others.

Of course, none of this has been confirmed, but that hasn’t stopped folks from wishing for it. Users online have also speculated that YG is set to appear in the visual after he posted clips with controversial podcaster Bobbi Althoff in the city.

As of today, the video’s release date hasn’t been shared with the public. But given the speedy turn around of the song, it won’t be vaulted much longer.

Nobody would ever dispute that True Detective‘s first season will always be the apex of the series. Out of the what has followed in the franchise, however, Night Country does a more than respectable job of honoring the original investigative team as portrayed by Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. The fourth season, starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, earns that status with or without that semi-controversial easter egg and also received the highest viewership in the entire anthology series.

As a result, HBO did not hesitate to renew True Detective for a fifth season while retaining Night Country showrunner, director, and writer Issa López. What can we expect? Let’s feel out the clues so far.

Plot

The only absolutely certainty, beyond López writing, directing, and show running again, is that original series creator Nic Pizzolatto will strongly dislike what materializes. And when that happens, we will likely see the titular detectives of the season calling his “sh*t” out. Beyond that, we know that in an HBO press release López declared that she was thrilled that “HBO trusted my vision all the way.” For what’s to come, the premium cable network greenlit her “idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of True Detective.”

Those words suggest that this will, as with the rest of the anthology series, move into a new chapter with different detectives (say goodbye to Danvers and Navarro) in a different location, so that they can take on a new unsolved case. The series has already moved from Louisiana to California to Arkansas and then Alaska amid several decades, so where to next? There’s technically no reason why this series couldn’t go international, but that might be a bit too far fetched. López has not dropped any hints on there “where” or “when,” so we can only assume that she could lean even further into the mystical and/or preternatural aspects of this franchise again.

While recently speaking to the Playlist, López revealed that she has moved past the larger-picture aspect of creating the season’s story and is now onto “writing episodes.” Further, she added that HBO (despite a swift renewal) isn’t pushing for the series to be quickly finished, “Which is so beautiful as a writer because then you can really take care to get there. There’s no rush.”

Cast

Jodie Foster and Kali Reis have not signaled their involvement in the next volume, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise, since this anthology series has always switched up the lead detectives with each season.

Release Date

Since Issa López has admitted that HBO is in “no rush” to push this series live before it’s truly ready, it sure sounds like 2026 will be the soonest that this season will surface.

Trailer

Since film hasn’t started rolling yet, no hope for a trailer exists yet. That provides opportunity for a blast from the past in this “Making True Detective – Season One” clip as aired on Sky TV:

Given the upcoming presidential election, politics are on the top of most Americans minds and the includes Sexyy Red. The “U My Everything” rapper has gone on the record to share her support for former President Donald Trump (then seemingly walked it back).

But it appears for her forthcoming music video, Sexyy Red pulled inspiration from another politician. Yesterday (June 21), she took her official X (formerly Twitter) page to post a Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky-inspired teaser for the next In Sexyy We Trust visual.

In the clip, Sexyy Red put her own spin on the infamous sexual contact scandal that rocked the 1990s. “I’m doin dis for our ancestors ,” she wrote.

Despite the mock Oval Office setup, the faux presidential seals plastered everywhere, and a framed photograph of Clinton on a nearby table, some users online weren’t able to catch the references.

“Who da hell is this,” wrote one user.

Others slammed Sexyy Red for claiming her actions in honor of Black suffrage. “You’re moving us backwards, Ms. Redd,” penned one user.

Monica Lewinsky hasn’t issued a response yet. However, this isn’t her first time being referenced by a musician—most notably on Beyoncé’s song “Partition.” Lewinsky responded then, and she likely will respond now.

Cardi B’s long-awaited sophomore album isn’t slated to be released until 2025. However, that hasn’t stopped the “WAP” rapper from dusting off the microphone for several notable collaborations. But just as she dropped off guest verses, Cardi has picked up a few rap beefs along the way.

Yesterday (June 21), during the 2024 Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards, Cardi addressed those dust ups and more as she accepted the night’s Inspiration Award.

“I just want to say thank Jason [Lee] so much for this award,” she said. “I’m really my biggest critic and I always say this, ‘Nobody has it harder than in the industry and in every genre than a female rapper, and I’m going to tell you why. You have to have the best verse. Not only that, you have to kill the charts. On top of that, your personal life has to be perfect, or then the opp b*tches are going to use that against you.”

Although Cardi didn’t outright name any of those foes, users online quickly took it as a jab at either BIA or Nicki Minaj (maybe even both).

Cardi went on to clap back at those who continue to use her husband and fellow rapper, Offset’s past infidelities, to hurt her.

“‘Your husband. Your husband.’ Shut up,” she said. “I make more money than all the n****s you’re f*cking. So you know sometimes it is hard to be yourself. It is hard to want to push yourself into the music because sometimes I don’t like showing weakness in my music because, ‘You can’t see the p*ssy in me b*tch.’”

Watch the full speech below.

With several Grammy Award wins under her belt and millions of albums sold, music chart record breaker, Taylor Swift is undoubtably a global pop star. Still, in some parts of the world, like the UK, there are some figures far more known than her, including The Royal Family.

Yesterday (June 21), Prince William and gang decided to celebrate his birthday by attending the “Fortnight” singer’s The Eras Tour stop at Wembley Stadium.

Today (June 22), photos of Prince William, Princes George, Princess Charlotte, and Swift backstage were shared online.

“Thank you, Taylor Swift, for a great evening! #LondonTSTheErastour,” wrote a representative of The Royal Family.

In Swift’s flick, she was sure to include her beau Travis Kelce, who was spotted singing along in the crowd by concertgoers.

“Happy Bday M8,” wrote Swift. “London shows are off to a splendid start ”

Just like in Swift’s performance across the US, The Royal Family celebrated Swift’s arrival by having service people from the British Army and The Royal Corps of Army Music perform “Changing of the Guard (Taylor’s Version)” a cleverly named cover of Swift’s hit song “Shake It Off.”

With two more London shows scheduled for tonight and tomorrow (June 23), ticket holders are excited to see what’s next.

House of the Dragons is currently going strong with an abundance of dragons and drama after debuting the second out of four seasons. Already, however, HBO is hard at work on the next Game of Thrones prequel that will help fill the gap between Targaryen seasons. We’re not talking about the possible show about Aegon the Conqueror or George R.R. Martin’s decision to also develop Ten Thousand Ships while hoping for a series green light there.

Nope, we are here to anticipate A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a full-fledged, Westeros-based series on the way to home theaters in 2025. You might have also heard of this show mentioned as The Hedge Knight, but HBO has formally dispensed with that working title in favor of the more attractive version mentioned above. Let’s get down to business on what we can expect from this series and discuss where it occurs in the GRRM timeline.

Plot

First came Game of Thrones, at least on TV. That juggernaut actually takes place last in relation to the rest of HBO’s other Westeros projects. HotD, of course, tells the self-dooming history of the Targaryen dynasty and begins about 300 years before A Song of Fire and Ice books (the basis of the GoT series). Whereas A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place only about 100 years before GoT begins. That doesn’t mean that the Targaryens are extinct, clearly. They are still sort-of in power even without the overwhelming majority of their dragons, and a few of them will be hanging around onscreen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, as we will soon detail a bit more.

This series will largely revolve around “Dunk and Egg” (the collective nickname for the two main characters), and this first season will begin to portray the first novella in this series, The Hedge Knight (which GRRM followed with The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight). The leading knight in question shall be known to the Westeros people as Ser Duncan the Tall, who is part of that still-chivalrous variety of knights that existed before Ser Criston Cole was getting busy instead of doing his duties as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently in the thick of filming in Belfast, Ireland. George R.R. Martin is credited as both writer and executive producer alongside Ira Parker and House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal.

HBO has also provided an official spin off description:

A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros … a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.

Who is the “Egg”? That’s an alias, and if you don’t wish to find out his real identity (which is already relatively well known, among both book readers and Westeros fans in general), do not read further.

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Egg — who will appear with a hairless head, so that nobody can see the telltale blonde — is actually Aegon V Targaryen and a descendant of Aegon the Conqueror and House of the Dragon‘s Aegon II. He will be entirely insistent upon becoming Duncan’s squire, and obviously, he will get what he wants. The casting of Dunk and Egg feels pretty perfect, too.

Cast

As seen ^^^ above, the towering Ser Duncan the Tall lives up to his subtitle. In GRRM’s source material, he’s nearly seven feet tall, and he will be portrayed by Peter Claffey, who is 6’5″ in height. Meanwhile, Egg will be portrayed by Dexter Sol Ansell, who also recently portrayed the young Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. You can see Dexter losing his own blonde locks to prepare for filming right over here.

Additional cast members include Finn Bennett as Aerion Targaryen, Sam Spruell as Maekar Targaryen, Bertie Carvel as Baelor Targaryen, Tanzyn Crawford as Tanselle, and Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Barotheon.

Release Date

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will premiere in 2025, presumably with more HoTD to follow in 2026.

Trailer

While we await a teaser or trailer, here’s a little Westeros history lesson. Yep, George R.R. Martin has been answering questions for Dunk and Egg obsessives since at least 2019:

Kendrick Lamar’s Juneteenth celebration at the Kia Forum, “The Pop Out: Ken & Friends” served as a victory lap for two things.

1. Kendrick’s dominance in his rap beef with Drake, which gave the world “Not Like Us,” one of the most infectious Kendrick rap tracks… really ever.
2. A celebration of Los Angeles itself, as Kendrick rallied several LA artists together on stage, including Ty Dolla $ign, Dom Kennedy, Steve Lacy, Roddy Ricch, YG, Tyler the Creator, Mustard (the producer of “Not Like Us”), and “The Bigger Picture” co-star DJ Hed.

With alleged gang members, artists, and ball players all joining the stage, Kendrick dubbed the night “unity at its finest.” It’s something we haven’t seen in hip-hop in a while, especially as regional borders erode with the way the internet has fundamentally transformed the genre.

And none other than Dr. Dre — arguably the most important architect of West Coast Hip Hop — introduced Kendrick’s five-in-a-row performance of “Not Like Us.”

To solidify the LA-ness of the event, a cheesier artist would’ve brought out a Tupac hologram to sing California Love (let’s face it… Drake probably would’ve done this) but that’s not Kendrick’s style, and the show is better for it. But that’s not to say Kendrick didn’t pay tribute to Pac’s influence, he just did it in a nuanced way that only jumped out to the heads that noticed.

Rocking a red hoodie, jeans, a pair of Nike SHOX, and a giant Ben Baller diamond cross, Kendrick’s fit served as an echo of Pac’s 1994 Source Awards look. The outfit isn’t a 1:1 replica but it’s a clear nod to an iconic look of Tupac’s.

Pac’s outfit is a bit different, rather than a hoodie he wore a red crew neck Georgia Bulldogs sweater, blue jeans, a pair of Filas, a backward cap, and a much more modest (in comparison) diamond-encrusted cross necklace.

The two outfits might have the same vibe, but each is very of its era and that’s what helps this subtle tribute to not look like Kendrick is straight-up cosplaying.

Aside from the diamond-encrusted necklaces, both fits aren’t flashy or boisterous, they’re very attainable and I think that speaks to Kendrick and Tupac’s temperament.

If you did, however, want to capture some of the magic of Kendrick’s look, buy yourself a pair of Nike Shox R4 Retro in “Comet Red,” from StockX or GOAT, but be warned, the reprice has doubled since Kendrick’s performance.

Pair that with your favorite jeans and hoodie, and you’ve pretty much got the look, but we’d advise you find some way to make it your own.

As for the Ben Baller diamond cross, good luck with all of that! Famed LA jeweler Ben Baller confirmed that Kendrick’s cross was worth a jaw-dropping $600K. If you like the look, you probably don’t need quite as many diamonds, but hey, no judgement if you’ve got that kind of money to spend.

The summer months are meant for fun and celebrations. Unfortunately, Justin Timberlake’s pre-season festivities temporarily landed him in the slammer. Following the “What Goes Around… Comes Around” singer’s arrest on June 18 for driving while intoxicated, his attorney, Edward Burke Jr., promised the star would address the incident soon. That moment has arrived.

Yesterday (June 21), during Timberlake’s The Forget Tomorrow World Tour stop in Chicago, Illinois, he shared a cryptic and heartfelt message about his “rough week.”

“We’ve been together through ups and downs and lefts and rights,” he said. “And it’s been a tough week, but you’re here, and I’m here, and nothing can change this moment right now. I know sometimes I’m hard to love, but you keep on loving me and I love you right back, thank you so much.”

Attendees cheered on Timberlake to show their support. But users online weren’t as understanding. Across X (formerly Twitter), accounts began to flood the platform with a clip from the 2007 Brit Awards, in which Timberlake seemingly poked fun at his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears‘ then rumored alcohol consumption.

“Stop drinking,” he said. “You’re going to get sloppy.”

Spears hasn’t issued a statement surrounding Timberlake’s arrest. Instead, she posted an image enjoying a cocktail during her Las Vegas vacation.

Other JT supporters have voiced concern for his health, pointing to one resurfaced clip from an early tour performance.

Timberlake is due to appear in court next month.

The Princess Bride. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Blackadder. You’re probably a fan of at least one of those, right? It’s (I’m sorry) inconceivable to imagine someone who isn’t. Well, what if there was a show that combined elements from all three? Coming soon to Prime Video, My Lady Jane is a “silly, fun, smart, swashbuckling, rambunctious alternative history,” according to co-showrunner Gemma Burgess, who brought up the Bride/Buffy/Blackadder comparisons.

My Lady Jane has serious summer binge potential. Here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the plot and release date.

Plot

Based on authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows’ best-selling book series, My Lady Jane is a “radical retelling” of the life of Lady Jane Grey, who was the queen of England for all of nine days in 1553. Her life ended the following year when Queen Mary I had her (along with her husband Lord Guildford Dudley) executed at the Tower of London when she was 17 years old. Lady Jane’s final words: “Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

But what if none of that happened? What if “King Henry VIII’s son Edward does not die of tuberculosis, Lady Jane Grey is not beheaded, and neither is her rascal of a husband Guildford?” the official description for My Lady Jane from Prime Video reads. “At the center of this rollicking new series is the brilliant and headstrong Jane who is unexpectedly crowned queen overnight and finds herself the target of nefarious villains coming for the crown (and her head)… My Lady Jane is an epic tale of true love and high adventure, where the damsel in distress saves herself, her true love, and then the Kingdom.”

There will be action, romance, comedy, spiciness (hopefully without a mirror, that’s taken), high-society drama, and even shape shifters.

Emily Bader, the California-born actress (I’m sure the Brits will be normal about this) who plays Lady Jane, told Nerdist that she thinks her character is “one of the dumbest smart people you’ll ever meet. She knows everything about people and the world, but she knows very little about what it means to be a person and to be a part of the world… she’s dealing with finding her identity and her power as a woman at a time, even when you were the Queen of England, that power was constantly being either taken from you or you had to fight for it. And so I think she’s figuring out how to keep her power while also discovering what it’s like to be a woman with love and femininity and all those things that sometimes don’t go hand in hand.”

Burgess and Meredith Glynn are the showrunners for My Lady Jane, while TV veteran Jamie Babbit directed five of the eight episodes.

Cast

Outside of Bader (who previously appeared in 2021’s Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin) as Lady Jane, the rest of the My Lady Jane cast includes Edward Bluemel as Lord Guildford Dudley, Jordan Peters as King Edward VI, Anna Chancellor as Lady Frances Grey, Rob Brydon as Lord John Dudley, Dominic Cooper as Lord Thomas Seymour, Jim Broadbent as Lord Leicester, Will Keen as Duke of Norfolk, and Kate O’Flynn as Princess Mary.

Release Date

All eight episodes of My Lady Jane season 1 premiere on Prime Video on June 27.

Trailer

Join the five million-plus people who have watched the My Lady Jane trailer.

You’re probably familiar with the literary classic “Moby-Dick.”

But in case you’re not, here’s the gist: Moby Dick is the name of a huge albino sperm whale.

(Get your mind outta the gutter.)

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There’s this dude named Captain Ahab who really really hates the whale, and he goes absolutely bonkers in his quest to hunt and kill it, and then everything is awful and we all die unsatisfied with our shared sad existence and — oops, spoilers!

OK, technically, the narrator Ishmael survives. So it’s actually a happy ending (kind of)!

Basically, it’s a famous book about revenge and obsession that was published back in 1851, and it’s really, really long.

It’s chock-full of beautiful passages and dense symbolism and deep thematic resonance and all those good things that earned it a top spot in the musty canon of important literature.

There’s also a lot of mundane descriptions about the whaling trade as well (like, a lot). That’s because it came out back when commercial whaling was still a thing we did.

In fact, humans used to hunt more than 50,000 whales each year to use for oil, meat, baleen, and oil. (Yes, I wrote oil twice.) Then, in 1946, the International Whaling Commission stepped in and said “Hey, wait a minute, guys. There’s only a few handful of these majestic creatures left in the entire world, so maybe we should try to not kill them anymore?”

And even then, commercial whaling was still legal in some parts of the world until as recently as 1986.

And yet by some miracle, there are whales who were born before “Moby-Dick” was published that are still alive today.

What are the odds of that? Honestly it’s hard to calculate since we can’t exactly swim up to a bowhead and say, “Hey, how old are you?” and expect a response. (Also that’s a rude question — jeez.)

Thanks to some thoughtful collaboration between researchers and traditional Inupiat whalers (who are still allowed to hunt for survival), scientists have used amino acids in the eyes of whales and harpoon fragments lodged in their carcasses to determine the age of these enormous animals — and they found at least three bowhead whales who were living prior to 1850.

Granted those are bowheads, not sperm whales like the fictional Moby Dick, (and none of them are albino, I think), but still. Pretty amazing, huh?

This is a particularly remarkable feat considering that the entire species was dwindling near extinction.

Barring these few centenarian leviathans, most of the whales still kickin’ it today are between 20 and 70 years old. That’s because most whale populations were reduced to 10% or less of their numbers between the 18th and 20th centuries, thanks to a few over-eager hunters (and by a few, I mean all of them).

Today, sperm whales are considered one of the most populous species of massive marine mammals; bowheads, on the other hand, are still in trouble, despite a 20% increase in population since the mid-1980s. Makes those few elderly bowheads that much more impressive, huh?

Unfortunately, just as things are looking up, these wonderful whales are in trouble once again.

We might not need to worry our real-life Captain Ahabs anymore, but our big aquatic buddies are still being threatened by industrialization — namely, from oil drilling in the Arctic and the Great Australian Bight.

In the off-chance that companies like Shell and BP manage not to spill millions of gallons of harmful crude oil into the water, the act of drilling alone is likely to maim or kill millions of animals, and the supposedly-safer sonic blasting will blow out their eardrums or worse.

This influx of industrialization also affects their migratory patterns — threatening not only the humans who depend on them, but also the entire marine ecosystem.

And I mean, c’mon — who would want to hurt this adorable face?

Whales might be large and long-living. But they still need our help to survive.

If you want another whale to make it to his two-hundred-and-eleventy-first birthday (which you should because I hear they throw great parties), then sign this petition to protect the waters from Big Oil and other industrial threats.

I guarantee Moby Dick will appreciate it.

This article originally appeared on 11.04.15