Month: July 2024

Last year, Billboard ranked the 50 greatest rappers of all time, a list that no one had any problems with and everyone agreed with. Everyone except Eminem, that is. He was placed at #5, one slot ahead of The Notorious B.I.G. and behind only Tupac (No. 4), Nas (No. 3), Kendrick Lamar (No. 2), and Jay-Z (No. 1), but on “Tobey,” his new song with Big Sean and Babytron, Eminem voiced his displeasure with the ranking.

“I got so many stories, but I hate ceilings / Ain’t feelin’ your top five favorite rappers / So I know they ’bout to be pissed at me,” he raps on the track. “But this, to me, is a mystery / How rappers I’ve already ripped could be / Higher up on a list than me / Yet here I sit on your list though at five, wished it was fine / But just know inside, to me, that sh*t’s hilarious.”

Eminem also had words for Melle Mel, of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, who thinks Em is only considered a top-five rapper because he’s white. “So when I get dissed though and by a pioneer who was one of the reasons why I am here / They tell me I should just let that shit go and slide / ‘Melle Mel shouldn’t get no reply’ / ‘That man is a legend,’ bitch, so am I,” he raps.

You can listen to “Tobey” below.

Aaron Dessner has become one of Taylor Swift’s closest creative partners in recent years, which has prompted some of the more adventurous Swifties to start checking out his long-running band, The National. In a new interview with NME, though, Matt Berninger admits that he has spotted “bewildered” Swift fans at The National shows.

Berninger noted that the Swift association “has been a really, really fruitful thing for our whole band, not just Aaron.” He continued:

“We see a lot of Taylor Swift fans coming to shows and being bewildered by the first 25 minutes or so. We’ve been blessed with demographics that are across the spectrum. Then 10 or 15 years ago, a lot of younger people started coming [to our shows] — more and more women. The first 10 years was kind of a dude-fest at most of our shows, but that’s changed a lot. At our shows we have all kinds of old friends and they’re always different.”

Meanwhile, Berninger doesn’t think the band will ever be a surprise guest at a Swift concert, saying, “Nah, I don’t think so. I don’t think so. […] Obviously, Aaron’s been having such a great time and making so much great stuff with her, and the Taylor Swift bridge has been there for a long time. But no, we’re not.”

Check out the full interview here.

Aaron Dessner has become one of Taylor Swift’s closest creative partners in recent years, which has prompted some of the more adventurous Swifties to start checking out his long-running band, The National. In a new interview with NME, though, Matt Berninger admits that he has spotted “bewildered” Swift fans at The National shows.

Berninger noted that the Swift association “has been a really, really fruitful thing for our whole band, not just Aaron.” He continued:

“We see a lot of Taylor Swift fans coming to shows and being bewildered by the first 25 minutes or so. We’ve been blessed with demographics that are across the spectrum. Then 10 or 15 years ago, a lot of younger people started coming [to our shows] — more and more women. The first 10 years was kind of a dude-fest at most of our shows, but that’s changed a lot. At our shows we have all kinds of old friends and they’re always different.”

Meanwhile, Berninger doesn’t think the band will ever be a surprise guest at a Swift concert, saying, “Nah, I don’t think so. I don’t think so. […] Obviously, Aaron’s been having such a great time and making so much great stuff with her, and the Taylor Swift bridge has been there for a long time. But no, we’re not.”

Check out the full interview here.

Bronny James officially made his debut as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, as he and first round pick Dalton Knecht met with the media alongside GM Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick. James will reportedly sign a multi-year guaranteed deal with the Lakers to be part of the team’s complete roster, and unsurprisingly many of the questions he faced at his intro presser focused on him playing with his father, LeBron James.

Bronny noted that he “never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad,” and said it wasn’t a “main focus” as he went through the Draft process.

He later was asked about the pressure placed on him because of his name and the fact that he’s now playing with LeBron, and he noted that he’s seen all of it, with people saying he doesn’t deserve his place. He also pointed out that it’s nothing new and that he’s dealt with it all of his life, although it is “amplified” now that he’s in the league.

After his presser, Bronny sat down with the Spectrum Sportsnet crew and talked about his upcoming appearances in Summer League, as the plan is for him to play the Cali Classic in San Francisco and then in Las Vegas, and Bronny noted he wants to showcase his skillset and “proving myself to the doubters.”

He’ll get his first chance to do that on Saturday, July 6 when the Lakers face the Kings at 1:30 p.m. PT on the first day of the Cali Classic. His Las Vegas Summer League debut figures to be Friday, July 12 when the Lakers play the Rockets at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Warning: spoilers below for House of the Dragon.

Easter eggs come in many forms– sometimes they appear as characters in the background in a movie, sometimes they come in song form, and other times the eggs are graciously carried by James Marsden. But when it comes to dragon eggs…you know where to look.

In season two, episode three of House of the Dragon, there is a brief easter egg in the form of some dragon eggs that are connected to the original Game of Thrones series. In the episode, as Rhaenyra is sending her children away to protect them from the ongoing chaos, she tasks her step-daughter Rhaena with protecting four coveted dragon eggs on their journey. She explained that “should all come to ruin here, you will bear our hope for the future.” It might seem like some regular dragon eggs, though they are actually some Easter eggs. It’s hard to see the difference!

Episode 3 director Geeta Vasant Patel confirmed that the eggs were intentional because they did in fact belong to Daenerys. “Those are Daenerys’ eggs,” Patel confirmed to Mashable. “All of us who work on this show are big Game of Thrones fans, so it was very exciting to shoot that scene.”

Of course, these eggs won’t get into Daenerys hands for about a century, but it just confirms that Rhaena is excellent at her egg protector job! It also leaves the mystery of the fourth egg unsolved, as Daenerys only receives three.

Besides the eggs, Patel also says the scene is integral to Rhaena’s character. “The other part of [the egg scene] is Rhaena saying goodbye and giving up her family in order to be a leader,” Patel explained. If you can guard some dragon eggs, you can really do anything.

(Via Mashable)

There are two types of people in this world – those who panic and fill up their cars with gas when the needle hits 25% or so, and people like me who wait until the gas light comes on, then check the odometer so you can drive the entire 30 miles to absolute empty before coasting into a gas station on fumes.

I mean…it’s not empty until it’s empty, right?

But just how far can you drive your car once that gas light comes on? Should you trust your manual?

---

Now, thanks to Your Mechanic sharing this information in a recent post, you can know for sure. Of course, they also want to warn you that driving on a low fuel level or running out of gas can actually damage your car.

Proceed at your own risk.

Here’s a link to a larger version of the chart.

These are, of course, approximations that depend on several factors, including how you drive, your car’s condition, etc. So don’t automatically blame Your Mechanic if you find yourself stranded on the side of the road.

This article originally appeared on 7.28.21

Belinda Hankins and her 13-year-old daughter, Bella, seem to have a great relationship, one that is often played out over text message.

Sure they play around like most teens and parents do, but in between the joking and stealing of desserts, they’re incredibly open and honest with each other. This is key, especially since Melinda is a single parent and thus is the designated teacher of “the ways of the world.”

But, wow, she is a champ at doing just that in the chillest way possible. Of course, it helps having an incredibly self-aware daughter who has grown up knowing she can be super real with her mom.

Case in point, this truly epic text exchange took place over the weekend while Bella was hunting for tampons at the store.

---

Here’s how Belinda introduced it on Facebook:

“THIS was the highlight of my parenting week. Sending my 13-year-old daughter into the store for (whispers) ‘feminine hygiene products,’ and having the following text exchange.”

Let’s give this the fanfare it deserves.

Act 1: The “right” aisle.

Every woman, whether she’s 13 or 30 has said or thought “THEY’RE NOT HERRREEEEEE” while standing in an aisle, desperately searching for period products. It’s like they’re trying to make it a scavenger hunt for which we did not sign up.

Act 2: Everything is a lie.

Act 3: Success! Well, sort of.

That’s right, Bella. Vagina, like Voldemort, is a word some people refuse to invoke because they’re terrified what great, untamed powers doing so might unleash.

Act 4: The truth.

Only a truly great mom could put this in such a way that inspires laughter and fist-pumping agreement at the same time.

Act 5: Smash the patriarchy!

A brilliant conclusion, mom/daughter solidarity AND an accurate map that illustrates what women encounter on a daily basis? If this exchange were a stage play, it would receive five stars.

And many others have agreed; the Facebook post has already been shared over 57,000 times in just two days.

So hip-hip-hooray for moms like Belinda who are candid with their kids on issues big and small and teach them how to be strong using humor and real talk.

The more hilarious conversations like Belinda’s and Bella’s about vaginas and the patriarchy that there are in the world, the better.

This article originally appeared on 09.14.16

If we’re being honest, we all make assumptions about other people, right?

We look at their skin, their clothes, and their car, and we make guesses about them that we don’t even realize we’re making. Everyone does it.

You ask a pregnant female coworker if she’ll keep working after the baby is born — but you wouldn’t think to ask that question of a guy who was about to become a dad.

---

You ask that nice girl behind the counter at the bagel shop whether she’ll ever go to college so she can get a better job — only to learn that she’s an underemployed Ph.D.

You ask a hipster-looking guy on the subway whether he’s into artisanal pickles — but he just happens to be a bad dresser who has no idea what you’re talking about.

The fact is, though, that people of color deal with other people’s assumptions constantly.

Research shows that other people’s expectations can have a profound effect on us. They can determine our success or failure. And black women deal with this nonsense more than others. In a recent study, nearly half of the female black and Latina scientists polled reported being mistaken for janitors or administrative staff.

Let’s agree to fix this.

This story originally appeared on 12.15.15

(Possible spoilers for The Boys will be found below.)

Way back in 2020, The Boys‘ second season briefly introduced Cindy as a massively powerful and incredibly dangerous Supe. The character appeared only in the sixth episode, “The Bloody Doors Off,” and was last seen hitchhiking away from Vought’s Sage Grove psychiatric facility after (somehow) being kept under lock and key until being set loose during the Lamplighter chaos. The audience then witnessed telekinetic powers, which — along with the hairstyle — were not unlike those of Seven on Stranger Things. Cindy can also pop people’s heads and is invulnerable to bullets. Could they rival Homelander in strength? Probably.

Since Cindy’s escape from the facility, however, actor Ess Hödlmoser has not been seen onscreen, and questions have persisted since you’d think that Vought would want to capture Cindy or use those powers as an asset. What gives? Following the second season finale, GamesRadar noted that showrunner Eric Kripke did a Q & A session where he fielded questions on Cindy’s whereabouts, and Kripke did not shy away: “Cindy’s out there, man.”

He wasn’t done yet: “Look, when you’re running a show it’s just always smart to just plant little landmines everywhere that you can go back to and use, and Cindy will return.” When will this happen? “I’m not entirely sure when, but before this show is over you will see Cindy again.”

Well, Cindy didn’t surface in The Boys third season or Gen V, and the show is now in the thick of a fourth season. This Supe has not, however, been forgotten by viewers, who have been airing their curiosity over whether Cindy was possibly a head-popping “scapegoat” to cover for Claudia Doumit’s antics or a mere “red herring” that has been abandoned after a single outing. Another Redditor isn’t buying a simple disappearance: “You mean to tell me one of the most unstable and powerful Supe in the series has been forgotten about by both Vought and the Boys huh?”

Of course, some viewers joked that Cindy has been busy filming the final season of Stranger Things, which has been taking forever, so give this Supe a break. In short, there is no shortage of fans who would like to see this character come back and wreak some havoc.

At the moment, however, there is plenty more of The Boys to come (three more fourth-season episodes and an entire fifth season), and Kripke hasn’t indicated that he will reneg on his promise to return this “little landmine” to the screen. As the wait continues, we can look forward to the next episode, “Dirty Business,” which will arrive late evening on Wednesday, July 3.

At the moment, BTS is officially on a hiatus as group members fulfill their service obligations in South Korea’s military. Still, between the various solo projects that have emerged from the band, BTS fans haven’t been left wanting.

Now, they have something else to look forward to on August 8: Today (July 2), BTS shared a 12-second teaser video that shows off a series of photos of two people in a variety of settings.

While the teaser doesn’t officially reveal much, fans think they know what’s happening: A good portion of the responses to the post are fans excitedly declaring/speculating that a travel show starring the group’s Jimin and Jung Kook is on the way.

Jung Kook discussed the idea in a 2023 conversation with Suga (per The Indian Express), saying that Jimin had the idea a while ago, and for a long time, they weren’t able to make it happen.

Jung Kook explained, “On a shoot with Jimin years ago, he said that it would be fun to do a travel variety show with me, and I agreed. But it didn’t go anywhere from there. Then, suddenly, they set up a shoot, and it got even funnier after Jimin hyung joined. It was a total mess.” Suga added, “There is something about Jimin that tugs at your heartstrings.”