Month: July 2024

In 2005, a Croatian architect designed a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.

Nope, not nonsensical bellows or chaotic tones. Real, actual, music.

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Most of us have never seen, or heard, anything like it.

Imagine walking along the picturesque Adriatic Sea, treading lightly on a set of white stone steps as a cool breeze rolls past.

Carved into the steps are narrow channels that connect to 35 organ pipes, each tuned to different meticulously arranged musical chords.

As the waves lap against the steps, they push air through the pipes and out whistle-holes in the surface above, making a harmonious and completely random musical arrangement.

But you don’t see what’s happening below the surface. You close your eyes and all you hear is a song like you’ve never heard before, one completely unique to the movement of the sea at that exact moment.

Take a listen: Here’s what it sounded like at one particular moment, on one particular day. On any other day, it might sound completely different.

(Hit the orange button to hear it.)

Pretty amazing, right?

The Sea Organ, or the Morske Orgulje, is an incredible feat of architecture designed to bring life back to one of the world’s oldest cities.

Zadar, a 3,000-year-old city on the coast of Croatia, was almost completely destroyed in World War II –– so many of its ancient landmarks lost forever. Years after a rebuilding that featured lots of plain, concrete structures, award-winning architect Nikola Bašić was brought in to bring some delight back to the coastline.

That’s when he came up with the idea.

No doubt he was inspired by the hydraulis — a nifty little instrument built by the ancient Greeks that used water to push air through tuned pipes — or even the Wave Organ in San Francisco — a set of curved tubes built in the 1980s that amplify the gurgles and howls of the Pacific Ocean.

But the intricate design of the Sea Organ is what sets it apart and makes it truly something to marvel at.

This article originally appeared on 11.06.15

Even after a short-lived dust up (and a resurfaced a diss track), Nicki Minaj and JT seemed to have put their animosity to the side. Since then, the ladies have appeared on livestreams, stages, and records together.

However, after the release of JT’s debut solo mixtape, City Cinderella, fans believe the beef has picked back up. Continue below for more information.

Do Nicki Minaj And JT Have Beef?

According to the Barbz themselves (Nicki Minaj’s super fans), the answer is yes. For years, Nicki Minaj has found herself at the center of multiple rap feuds (including Lil Kim, Remy Ma, and Cardi B). Due to that, Nicki has tried to keep her dislike for any other rapper private by never mentioning their name publicly.

However, around July 19, Nicki Minaj reportedly began unfollowing fans. Those, who claim to have been unfollowed, speculated that the reason why was due to their support of JT’s City Cinderella mixtape.

The rumor continued to spread after Nicki Minaj held a broadcast on Stationhead. Attendees took Nicki’s vague message as a jab at JT’s previous negative remarks.

“But you also have to question why a person would go from unliking you to loving you,” she said. “Is that odd? Well, you don’t say.”

Neither Nicki Minaj nor JT has confirmed a falling out. So, for now it is all Barbz say, Juvie say.

Given the breaking politics news (Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race), today (July 21) isn’t an ideal time to make any more announcement. But it looks like Uproxx cover star Cordae wanted to cut to gloom online with a reveal of his own.

Across his official social media pages, the “Feel It In The Air” rapper uploaded a cinematic clip to tease his third studio album, The Crossroads.

“The Crossroads Era begins now,” he wrote.

In the video, Cordae provided fans with a sneak peek into what he’s daily activities since his brief step back from the public. Those activities include quality time with his daughter Shai (whom he shares with Naomi Osaka), relaxing, educating himself on world news, and more. All of which is sure to make its way onto the project.

He then went on to share that fans should expect the first offering of the forthcoming project, on July 24.

Users online shared their excitement with the news. Other welcomed Cordae back from his recent hiatus, to which he replied: “Great to be back, I had to get better for y’all. Y’all deserve my best .”

The official release date for the upcoming body of work isn’t known at this time. However, in his profile’s bio section Cordae made it clear that The Crossroads will be shared by way of his record label, Hi Level.

Dexter: True Blood, the 2021 Showtime limited series, delivered a vital development, which was the death of Dexter Morgan. Although the sequel series wasn’t perfect, it was infinitely better than the first series finale, which saw the titular serial killer dump his sister’s body from a fishing boat and sail into a hurricane, presumably dead but secretly bound for the lumberjack life. The sequel series did bring back Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) as a ghost, and Michael C. Hall did his best to bring Dexter’s story to a proper conclusion.

From there, rumor had it that Harrison — years after recovering from the original show’s worst scene — would be the subject of a future spin off, since the sequel made clear that Dexter’s son also had a Dark Passenger inside. That was only to be expected when his parents (including Hannah McKay, portrayed by Yvonne Strahovski) were both serial killers. However, plans have changed, and Showtime is currently running with a prequel series instead. Let’s get down to business on what has emerged about Dexter: Original Sin.

Plot

With original showrunner Clyde Phillips on the job, this Showtime series will take place beginning in 1991, which is fifteen years before the events of Dexter began in Miami. The premium cable network has released several ^^^ images of Patrick Gibson as fledgling serial killer Dexter along with his homicide-detective father, Harry (Christian Slater), and sister, Debra (Molly Brown), who looks much sunnier than Jennifer Carpenter’s version of the character.

At present, Showtime hasn’t clarified whether this series will override any previous flashbacks (complete with bad wigs on Michael C. Hall) from the seasons that aired between 2006 and 2013. We do, however, know that the prequel will detail how Harry recognized Dexter’s Dark Passenger and helped him establish a Code that would use his murderous urges for the good of society.

Did Harry know about his son’s habit of collecting blood slides? That sort-of defeats the purpose of Dexter operating under the radar, but we don’t know the answer to that question. Some details have been filled in by this logline:

[The series f]ollows Dexter (Gibson) as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. When his bloodthirsty urges can’t be ignored any longer, Dexter must learn to channel his inner darkness. With the guidance of his father, Harry (Slater), he adopts a Code designed to help him find and kill people who deserve to be eliminated from society without getting on law enforcements’ radar. This is a particular challenge for young Dexter as he begins a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.

Wall Street Journal, which was the first to have details on the origin story, further revealed that Showtime is “exploring” other possible back-story series including the origin story of the Trinity Killer, originally portrayed by by John Lithgow.

Cast

In addition to Gibson, Slater, and Brown, the cast also includes Patrick Dempsey as Aaron Spencer (the captain of the Miami PD’s Homicide division), Sarah Michelle Gellar as Tanya Martin (Dexter’s boss in the CSI), James Martinez as the younger version of Angel Batista (the “up-and-coming homicide detective who leads with his heart”), Reno Wilson as Bobby Watt (partner and confidante to Harry), Alex Shimizu as Vince Masuka (the “forensic analyst who eagerly shares his expertise while relishing the chance to boss around his new intern, Dexter Morgan”), and Christina Milian (as homicide detective Maria LaGuerta).

Release Date

No concrete release date has emerged, but late 2024/early 2025 seems completely doable.

Trailer

Since zero footage has emerged, a trailer is out of the question for now. However, we can pay tribute to Doakes, so surprise, m*therf*ckers:

The wait for a solo project from Normani is over. After several unforeseen circumstances and delays, the “All Yours” singer’s debut album, Dopamine, is officially available across streaming platforms.

Now, fans are hoping that Normani will hit the road for her first ever solo headlining tour. But is Normani down for it? Continue below for more information.

Will Normani Go On Tour In 2024?

Although a recent injury held Normani back from performing at the 2024 BET Awards, that hasn’t stopped her from wanting to tour. On July 20, Normani sat down with Access Hollywood to discuss her future plans, which included a tour. But it is unclear if that trip around the world will happen in 2024.

When asked by co-host Mario Lopez if she wants to tour, Normani quickly answered: “Yes.”

She then went on to talk about “I’m really excited for that,” she said. “That’s what I’m most excited for. I’m like, ‘I’ve been in the studio for a minute.’ But I have so much bottled up in me. I feel it most when I’m at home–on stage. So I’m excited for that and to see my fans. To see them. It’s been a minute.”

During her time with Fifth Harmony, Normani has rocked many stages. Even as a solo act, she supported Ariana Grande’s Sweetener World Tour. But she’s never headlined her own performance run. So, there is a demand there.

Watch Normani’s full interview with Access Hollywood above.

PHOENIX — At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Sunday morning, several people wore orange hats and graphic tees from the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game the night prior. All of them were on cloud nine from getting to witness 24 of the world’s greatest basketball players go at it, resulting in Team WNBA trouncing Team USA 117-109 behind All-Star MVP Arike Ogunbowale’s 34-point explosion. Two elderly women had traveled from Raleigh, North Carolina, and it was one’s first-ever basketball game. “It’s only going to get better,” she said.

WNBA players have repeatedly proved that the bar is never too high. While the league’s growth still feels like it’s only on the precipice of its fullest potential, this year’s All-Star Weekend was a mesh point.

To kick it off on Thursday, July 18, Phoenix Mercury lifer and WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi had two courts named after her at the Mercury’s newly opened $100 million practice facility. “You deserve it,” Seattle Storm guard and 2024 Paris Olympian Jewell Loyd told Taurasi. Reflexively, Taurasi replied, “No, we deserve it.”

On Friday, July 19, recently retired and extremely decorated legends of basketball and soccer Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe held a live taping of their A Touch More podcast during a brunch hosted jointly by TOGETHXR and the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s expansion franchise debuting next season. During the recording, Bird shared her overarching takeaway from the oft-divisive narratives spun from an intensified, uneducated microscope on the first half of the WNBA season: “Two truths.”

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark has generated immense mainstream intrigue, and countless players before her had placed the league on an upward trajectory in recent years.

The WNBA is physical and unforgiving, and the veterans do not hold any animosity toward this rookie class.

So on, so forth.

At a sold-out (16,407) Footprint Center, the 2024 All-Star Game provided subtle yet significant illustrations of harmony between generations. In fact, multiple truths intertwined to underscore one universal truth. As esteemed women’s sports journalist Arielle Chambers first wrote to Facebook in 2016, “The WNBA is so important.”

Team WNBA coach and first-ever Mercury head coach (and overall hoops trailblazer) Cheryl Miller, beloved hometown icons Taurasi (who pounded her heart and mouthed “love you”) and Brittney Griner, two-time WNBA MVP and reigning back-to-back WNBA champion A’ja Wilson, Clark, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, and everyone in between earned ear-piercing cheers during player introductions. And if there were any doubt that the WNBA will sustain this momentum, UConn star guard and probable 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers might have been the most popular person there.

The game opened with an immediate three from Team USA’s Taurasi, and the first quarter ended with an aggressive rebound and put-back from Team WNBA’s Reese, who became the first rookie to record a double-double in an All-Star Game. Throughout the game, it was hard not to get sentimental about watching Reese battle Wilson in the post — each donned one leg sleeve, which Reese only wears because Wilson did first.

“That’s crazy that that’s even a thing,” Wilson said of her influence on younger players after the game. “I feel like I had those moments with Candace [Parker] a lot, so now that I’m having those moments, it’s special.”

The arena particularly swelled when Clark’s 10th and final assist came from a no-look dish to Reese on the low block — teammates for the first time for Team WNBA after so many people have worked so hard to pit them against each other. Clark finished one shy of Bird’s All-Star Game assists record, but broke the record for rookie assists by setting up Ogunbowale for a three. It was one of five threes drained in a 21-point third quarter by Ogunbowale, whose 34 points are the most ever scored in a WNBA All-Star Game — after going scoreless in the first half. Ogunbowale also won All-Star MVP in 2021 (the last time it was Team WNBA vs. Team USA), joining Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore, and Swin Cash as the only players with multiple All-Star MVPs.

Many indicators of the league’s outrageous depth were on display, including Ogunbowale’s record-setting night overshadowing the fact that Team USA’s Breanna Stewart tied Jewell Loyd’s previous record of 31 points (set just a year ago). The entire Team WNBA bench sprinted to the opposite corner after Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell hit a three falling down as time expired on the third quarter. In the fourth, “MVP” chants burst out when Wilson stepped to the line and for Ogunbowale moments later.

“If anything, it shows how good this league is,” Clark said afterward when asked about Team WNBA beating Team USA ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, as was the case in 2021. “It shows how much talent is in this league and how you have to show up and prepare every single night because there’s a lot of players that aren’t even here on All-Star Weekend that can be here in these moments, too.”

To that point, Las Vegas Aces guard Sydney Colson had trouble making it back to her seat after halftime because so many people wanted photos with her. One woman stood up from her seat and yelled, “That’s the face of the league right there!” While that call-out was specific to Colson’s nickname, it also served as a reminder that the WNBA is stacked with face-of-the-league candidates. The fans at the airport couldn’t pick just one, and they don’t have to.

It’s only going to get better.

Jay-Z isn’t a businessman, he’s a business man. Sadly, his former professional partner Dame Dash appears to still have a vested interest in the “Public Service Announcement” rapper’s musical dealings.

Over on Instagram, Dame seemingly announced his plans to sell his interest in Jay-Z’s debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt. With the wave of artists selling off the rights to their catalogs, this shouldn’t be a big deal. However, in this instance, it is major considering the pair were once tied up in a legal battle over it.

“This shit is for sale 1/3,” he wrote. “Only real inquiries only.”

Users on the platform immediately flooded Dame’s comment section with mixed reactions to the post.

“As much as I like Dame and a lot of what he stands for, I can understand why Jay cut ties,” wrote one user.

“‘This sh*t is diabolical. Crazy how y’all were once looked up to in hip-hop to ‘this sh*t,’” penned another addressing Dame’s reference to the revered album.

“Not ‘this sh*t.’ Smh. Sounding bitter my boy,” chimed another.

“I love u Dame but this corny, respectfully,” added another.

“Hate it had to come to this. Wish you and Jay could talk it out like grown men. Smh I’m just a disappointed fan at this point,” remarked one user.

“It was all good just a week ago,” penned another referencing Jay-Z lyrics.

One user even offered a suggestion on who Dame should sell his interest to. “Sell it to Ye. Keep it in the family,” wrote the user.

In 2022, Dame Dash and Jay-Z reportedly reached a settlement that barred Dame, Jay, and Kareem “Biggs” Burke from selling the project. Could things have changed?

Nicole Kidman’s notorious AMC commercials are about the only way that audiences can see her at the movies these days. The long-time movie star has clearly committed herself to the small screen, and the payoff for several streaming services has been resounding. More Big Little Lies is in the works by popular demand, and other recent Kidman TV hits include Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing, Expats, and Lioness, and for sure, more Kidman-starring series are on the way.

Those include a Kay Scarpetta series (coming from Prime Video/Amazon and Blumhouse) reportedly filming this fall, but before that happens, Netflix will bring The Perfect Couple to streaming. The cast is stacked, and a trailer has already surfaced, and this show looks like the lovechild of three other hit shows. Let’s talk about what viewers can expect.

Plot

The Perfect Couple reteams Kidman with her The Undoing director Susanne Bier (Bird Box) in this series that adapts Elin Hilderbrand’s best-selling 2018 novel about how families might literally love you to death. Kidman portrays Grace Garrison Winbury, a legendary mystery novelist with astounding wealth. She is married to Tag Winbury (Liev Schreiber), and as the title indicates, their “perfect couple” status would appear to cover up a cutting family dynamic.

Enter the Nantucket wedding setting of Amelia Sacks, who will soon marry a Winbury son, and naturally, Greer is not the most welcoming mother-in-law to be. Still, Grace’s waterfront estate is where the couple will be married in a lavish ceremony, but unfortunately, somebody ends up dying right before the scheduled nuptials. Those are telling shades of The White Lotus (Meghann Fahy’s presence helps that vibe) and Big Little Lies surfacing as police interrogations enter the narrative. The story also includes characters from Hilderbrand’s other novels, and naturally, nobody on the scene manages to evade suspicion.

From the series synopsis:

Amelia Sacks is about to marry into one of the wealthiest families on Nantucket. Her disapproving future mother-in-law, famous novelist Greer Garrison Winbury, has spared no expense in planning what promises to be the premiere wedding of the season – until a body turns up on the beach. As secrets come to light, the stage is set for a real-life investigation that feels plucked from the pages of one of Greer’s novels. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect.

The most important thing here is that Meghann Fahy’s character survives. Oh, can you imagine the irony of her portraying the deceased partygoer after her The White Lotus character was the first beachgoer to spot the (initial) second-season body? Actually, I don’t want to further contemplate that scenario.

Cast

In addition to Kidman and Fahy, the cast includes Liev Shreiber, Dakota Fanning, Michael Beach, Nick Searcy (Justified), and Eve Hewson.

Release Date

The Perfect Couple will stream in full on September 5.

Trailer

Netflix really kept this show quiet until a teaser trailer emerged:

Would you care for more photos?

America woke up to some surprising news this morning: President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 Presidential election, and will not be seeking a second term. Well, most of America did; one person was unmoved by the announcement. Cardi B re-posted her original take on the election from June on Instagram to remind fans that she saw this coming well in advance.

“STOP PLAYING WIT ME!!!!” She wrote in the caption. “Check the date.. said this on JUNE 30TH! been told y’all Kamala should’ve been the 2024 candidate. Y’all be trying to play the Bronx education, baby this what I do!!! Been my passion.. don’t let my accent fool y’all.”

Back in May, Cardi told Rolling Stone she felt both 2024 candidates, Biden and Donald Trump, were disappointing, saying, “It’s just like, damn, y’all not caring about nobody. Then, it really gets me upset that there is solutions to it. There is a solution. I know there’s a solution because you’re spending billions of dollars on any f*cking thing.” However despite the Democratic candidate’s failings, she said she would never vote Republican.

In her June 30 post, Cardi elaborated, “I feel it’s very selfish for [the Democratic Party] to allow Joe Biden to continue to run for President,” noting she felt “they should have passed the torch to Kamala [Harris].” She explained that she felt the Vice President shared many of the same policies as Biden, was articulate enough to run against Trump, and with so many weak potential candidates, she has a better chance on name recognition alone (which, past elections have proven to be at least a little true).

Cardi’s political interests are no secret, but she has faced criticism in the past due to her unique, Bronx-bred vernacular. But as she points out, she knows her stuff. Maybe she could run in 2028… After some My Fair Lady-style elocution training.

While the NBA offseason has slowed to a crawl when it comes to major news breaking, many NBA fans still have notifications set for the league’s two biggest newsbreakers — Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania — just in case there is a sudden trade involving Lauri Markkanen, Brandon Ingram, Zach LaVine, or any of the other stars still on the block.

Given their immense platforms, we don’t often see Shams or Woj post much in the way of non-NBA news, but there are exceptions. Woj will retweet big sports news from ESPN’s other reporters and occasionally will fire off some tweets about his beloved Bonnies. Shams, meanwhile, will sometimes just tweet out news from other sports (he’s dipped a toe into the NFL Draft on a few occasions) and politics. A few years ago, many NBA fans learned that Donald Trump had contract COVID-19 because of a Shams tweet, and on Sunday a similar phenomenon happened when Shams tweeted out that Joe Biden was dropping his re-election campaign.

Shams, of course, did not actually break this news, but he did get his tweet off damn near simultaneously to the president’s own tweet.

As such, an awful lot of people learned the news because of Shams, not the president’s own tweet, leading to “Shams” trending on Twitter as folks were in disbelief that they learned ground-shaking political news via an NBA insider.