Ever since Giannis Antetokounmpo became a perennial MVP candidate — and, in turn, the Milwaukee Bucks became a contender in the East — they have been heavily featured on national TV and on the league’s marquee game days. There is no day on the NBA calendar bigger than Christmas, although they now have competition with the NFL, and Giannis and the Bucks have been a fixture of the NBA’s Christmas slate, playing on Christmas in each of the last six seasons.
Spurs at Knicks
Timberwolves at Mavericks
76ers at Celtics
Lakers at Warriors
Nuggets at Suns
After that schedule got reported, Giannis found out on Friday and made his reaction public on Twitter, seemingly stunned that he and the Bucks will have the day off.
Twitter
I can’t quite tell if this is Giannis being mad at being left off the league’s biggest slate of games or if he’s excited to finally get to spend Christmas day with his family, but either way it did come as a fairly big surprise. The East typically only gets two games on Christmas, but this year there are only three teams from the East involved, as they’ve opted to cash in on Wemby-mania by sending the Spurs to the Garden. That figures to have been the spot the Bucks would’ve found themselves in, but now will be watching at home with their families. That’s a nice combination of a holiday off and some added motivation for Giannis, Damian Lillard, and the rest of the Bucks, who find themselves as the forgotten contender after a big summer of moves around the league.
One Musicfest has become an Atlanta mainstay, and now, the event is entering its milestone 15th year. They’ll have quite the lineup to celebrate with their 2024 edition, too: The roster was just announced today (August 9) and it’s led by Cardi B; Gunna; Victoria Monét; Jill Scott; and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Also on the bill are acts like Sexyy Red, GloRilla, Keyshia Cole, Fantasia, Nelly, Ari Lennox, T.I., Young Nudy, Monica, DJ Mustard & Friends, Larry June, Method Man, Redman, DaBaby, Jeremih, Fat Joe, Saucy Santani, and Tanner Adell.
The festival goes down on October 26 and 27 at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. Tickets are available for purchase from the festival website, with two-day general admission passes starting at $219. Visit the website for more information about ticket options, as well as info about lodging, vendors, and other relevant logistics.
One Musicfest founder J. Carter says in a statement (as HipHopDX notes), “It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the 15-year mark. We’ve grown into the longest-running and largest Black independently owned festival in the country and this journey has been a blessing. Our commitment to the community remains steadfast as we continue to bring the biggest and brightest performers in music and the best activations with amazing partners.”
It seems Drake’s relationship with sports isn’t as cursed as fans would lead you to believe. Apparently, there is one sports franchise that has dramatically benefitted from its connection with the “It’s Up” rapper.
In an interview with GQ, Matte Babel, part of Drake’s management team, claimed the rapper helped prevent Italy’s Venezia Football Club from falling into bankruptcy. According to the outlet, despite the organization’s support in its home country, the funding didn’t quite match.
During the sit-down, Babel spilled the tea. Babel revealed that after the owner Brad Katsuyama made a call to Drake, he immediately stepped in to close the multi-million dollar hole.
“The value of Drake to any football club is undeniable given his global superstardom and brand reach,” said Babel. “This intersection of culture and sport is exactly where we want to be, and as a sports organization, the ability to tap a brand like NOCTA that also teeters the same line is incredibly valuable.”
As of today (August 9), Babel claimed the Drake assist helped raise $40 million for the Venezia Football Club. With the cash boost, Venezia Football Club was able to scout new talent while simultaneously investing into its new facilities for the club on track to be up and running for the 2027/28 season.
In space, no one can hear you scream. But that doesn’t make for very good horror, so let’s just pretend for a moment that you can scream in space, especially when there is a slimy eight-foot-tall extraterrestrial being on board.
Aliens: Romulus is the latest installment in the Alien franchise which began back in 1979. While there have been many worthy (and some unworthy) sequels, the latest in the franchise is allegedly bringing the screaming back into space. The movie is a standalone installment which takes place in between Alien and Aliens, and follows a group of young space explorers who stumble upon the wreckage of a space station that has become the home to some pesky aliens. The film stars Civil War breakout Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, and Isabela Merced.
It’s hard to continue such a destinct legacy, but early reviews are insisting that Romulus is a soon-to-be classic. Many attendees took to social media to share their praise:
I’m thrilled to report that #AlienRomulus scared the sh*t out of me. It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s horrifying. #Alien fans will love it. @fedalvar played continuity chess VERY well. He’s no rook, he’s the king.
#AlienRomulus The bitch is back. Was skeptical going in, but this is easily one of the better films in the franchise. Fede Álvarez doesn’t disappoint. Awesome sound design and world-building. The practical effects are so good that the film gave me nightmares.
ALIEN: ROMULUS is incredible. Insane practical effects (a truly wretched human-alien transformation) and an unexpected third act musical number that has no reason to work but completely does. Spaeny screams, fights, dances, and sings herself into the Final Girl Hall of Fame.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Alien Romulus is by far the best movie of the year. It’s the best in the franchise, and may be my new favorite horror. Can’t wait to see it again and I’m so excited for the world to enjoy this masterpiece like we did tonight.
The @fedalvar has officially done it. ALIEN: ROMULUS weaves Scott’s terrifying claustrophobia and Cameron’s game-over carnage to create an ALIEN movie that sits with its predecessors and stands on its own. It is an absolute wrecking ball of a movie. See it big, loud, and scream.
#AlienRomulus REVIEW: VISCERAL & INTENSE. Suspenseful, bold, dramatic. Filmmaking that brings the franchise back to its roots. Action-packed scares with sensual edging. This isn’t just another horror movie, it’s one of the BEST prequels ever! A fitting end setting up what’s next.
I went to an early screening of #AlienRomulus today. Fede Alvarez was the perfect choice for this one. If you’re a true Xenomorph fan, trust me—you WON’T be disappointed! I had doubts about the young cast too, Man, I was SO WRONG. The best sound editing experience of 2024!
Will you make it out alive? As long as you’re armed with a novelty popcorn bucket, you should be fine.
Drew Erwin is still a young guy, but the musician has already lived many lives. Of course, all those journeys started somewhere, and that’s the focus of the latest episode of The Street I Grew Up On.
For Erwin, that street is in Memphis, where he spent his “formative years of chasing a dream,” as he puts it in the video. Before that, though, he was a high school football star whose promising prospects were derailed by injury. The lining in that situation was extremely silver, though, as Erwin suspects blowing out his hamstring prevented him from chasing a football dream that would have “dissolved at some point.”
That didn’t stop him from dreaming — the focus just shifted. Erwin pivoted to music, and that was a journey of its own, from his time at Memphis’ South Main Sounds venue to learning about songwriting by playing covers in “fly on the wall” gigs at The Silly Goose. Ultimately, it’s all working out: In 2023, he signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and Southern Pacific Music.
There’s more to this story than the aforementioned, so learn more about Erwin in the new episode of The Street I Grew Up On, above.
Black Business Month is inextricably tied to the concept of “paying dues.” Nothing comes without first putting in some time and consistent effort to ensure not just the success of any given endeavor, but to build the trust that ensures that partners, customers, and investors will have confidence in offering their custom.
Like fellow Vallejo native E-40, LaRussell has built an enthusiastically engaged following outside the confines of the traditional major label system through his brand, Good Compenny. However, he’s taken it a step further, monetizing endeavors far beyond the established revenue streams we’ve come to expect from independent rappers, fueled by a Field Of Dreams-inspired philosophy: If you build it, they will come. But first, LaRussell had to build the trust among fans that would give them the confidence in supporting left-field strategies like backyard shows, sharing stock in music releases, and a lifetime membership to all of LaRussell’s shows. He has built a business from the ground up by being himself, taking chances, and paying dues.
“That’s just part of the process,” he explains of how he built that trust. “You start with one, one turn to two, two turn to four, four turn to eight, eight turn to 16, 16 turn to 32, 32 turn 64. And we just embraced that process the entire time. I’m never really trying to win people who don’t f*ck with me. I over-deliver to the people who love me, and they go tell everybody else.”
That’s how the Bay Area rapper gets fans to buy into each new product he rolls out, by paying his dues. Naturally, this means being great at the core skill at the heart of his entire business plan: Rapping. He’s not just great at the craft, either. He’s also hella productive. According to Genius.com, LaRussell has released 18 albums since 2018. Per Tidal, that number is closer to 33. The point is, he puts out so much music at such a rapid pace, that it’s hard to consistently keep track. This is a benefit of his indie status, but it’s also by design — and because he has so many revenue streams, LaRussell doesn’t worry about oversaturating the market.
“I make good dope,” he chuckles at the thought that he might be overdoing it. “I make good dope, and as long as you do dope, you’re going to come to me for it. Some n****s eat McDonald’s every day because that’s what they love, and that’s our focus. I’m not really focused on the people who don’t want to be here no more. I focus on the people who want to come to my crib, the people who love what I do, and I keep supplying it.”
That consistency and productivity not only cements fans’ willingness to stream his musical output, but also their belief in each new product he offers. For instance, although backyard shows — concerts he literally holds in fans’ backyards — and selling stock in his streams are at least based on his core work, he’s since been successful in offering experiences that don’t have anything to do with music in the first place.
“We got so many different ways to get paper off this music sh*t,” he enthuses. “It don’t even make sense. I be trying to put the OGs on all the different ways because it’s endless now. It goes beyond masters and publishing and live performances now.” For example: “I go straight to the people and I let them make offers on everything. I get paid to go hang out with fans. I opened it up to where you could book me to come play pickleball and come chill. We’ve just made every aspect of being an artist monetizable.” Just imagine being able to hoop with Tupac, or shoot pool with Jay-Z. Fans often dream of just being around their favorite rappers, sharing space and time with them… LaRussell has made this a reality while turning it into a business opportunity.
However, despite doing this interview for Black Business Month, LaRussell scoffs at the idea of BEING a Black business himself. “I just define myself as a business. I’m just in the business of humanity. I like to do dope sh*t and meet dope humans and share dope sh*t and just try to make people smile and cultivate through what we do. And I like to make paper. I don’t really look at it as this is a Black business or separate from anything. I got a bunch of different races and ethnicities just within my network and in my group. We just building big business in general.”
Which is, perhaps, the core of why historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick E. Jordan Sr. founded this admittedly esoteric agenda 20 years ago: to show that a Black-owned business could and should be considered as innovative and profitable as any other. It highlights the possibilities, just as LaRussell’s own successes paint a broader picture of success for hip-hop artists. Even when an idea seems less viable on paper — or even in practice — LaRussell understands that paying dues is all part of the process.
“Everything works for me,” he says. “Everything works as long as I do the work. Only things don’t work is the things that I don’t do the work for, but everything work. Gold cards, stock, the residency shows, the offer-based systems, the Proud To Pay, merch, everything works. Some things take a little bit longer to develop, but everything works… You just got to build every day. You just got to get in there and do your work, and you never know what’s going to come from that work. Something might pop up that alters everything that you have planned to do in the next five because it happened tomorrow… I announce shows and I don’t even put the address until close to the date. So people just buy tickets based on trusting me. They don’t give a f*ck where it is. I could be in the middle of anywhere and they going to come because they just trust me. When I put out new technology, they just trust LaRussell because I built a trustworthy brand and I haven’t steered the people wrong.”
Many recording artists, including Beyoncé, Eminem, and Big Sean, have crafted music inspired by their children. But it is a whole separate can of worms to create songs for kids. The minds behind Apple TV’s Yo Gabba GabbaLand! has found a happy medium.
Today (August 9), the official soundtrack for season of the children’s show, and it is surprisingly stacked. With special featured appearances from Big Daddy Kane, Anderson .Paak, Thundercat, The Linda Lindas, Kurt Vile, and Claud, there’s something for both parent and child to enjoy.
Check out the .Paak-featuring “We’re All Connected” above and continue below for the soundtrack cover art and tracklist.
Yo Gabba GabbaLand! Album Cover Artwork
Apple TV
Yo Gabba GabbaLand! Tracklist
1. “Yo Gabba GabbaLand! Theme” Feat. Kammy Kam
2. “We’re All Connected” Feat. Anderson .Paak
3. “You Gabba GabbaLand!” Feat. Muno, Brobee, Foofa, Toodee, and Kammy Kam
4. “Animals Are Sleeping” Feat. Ty Segall
5. “Let’s Get Creative” Feat. Twin Shadow
6. “Art Party” Feat. Portugal. The Man and Paul Williams
7. “We Are What We Think We Are” Feat. Dayglo
8. “I’m So Happy To Be Little” Feat. The Linda Lindas
9. “Air Is Everywhere” Feat. Local Natives
10. “I Am The Wind” Feat. Betty Who
11. “The Water Song” Feat. Romderful
12. “Let’s Drink Water” Feat. Miyavi
13. “Come And Play” Feat. Claud
14. “Many Sounds, One Band” Feat. Cory Wong and Antwaun Stanley
15. “The Beat Of The Day” Feat. Big Daddy Kane
16. “Outside” Feat. Prestyn Smith
17. “The Orange Cat’s Special Time Outdoors” Feat. Thundercat
18. “Silly In The Rain” Feat. Lucius
19. “King Silly March” Feat. Kurt Vile
20. “The Beat Of The Day” With Reggie Watts
21. “Grow With Me” Feat. MIYAVI
22. “Ch-Ch-Change” Feat. The Drums
23. “I Wonder” Feat. Muno, Brobee, Plex, Foofa, and Toodee
24. “I Wonder Why” Feat. Mxmtoon
25. “Wonderful Day In A Wonderful Place” Feat. The Interrupters
26. ” You Gabba GabbaLand! Outr”
Yo Gabba GabbaLand! is out now via Green Beans Productions/BMG Rights Management. Find more information here.
Joel Embiid has been a lightning rod for criticism throughout the Paris Olympics. The Philadelphia 76ers big man has not always looked comfortable when he’s been on the floor for the United States, although he broke out of his slump in a big way on Thursday against Nikola Jokic and Serbia in the Olympic semifinals.
But the much bigger source of criticism has been French fans, who pack the arena and boo Embiid with every touch. Embiid publicly flirted with joining France’s national team before announcing he’d play for the United States, and it’s clear that there are some hard feelings towards him. With a gold medal on the line when the U.S. play France in Paris on Saturday, Embiid expects that he’s going to get some stick from the fans of the home team, and as he said on Friday, he plans on giving it right back to them.
“Frankly, I don’t understand why I’ve gotten a lot of criticism from the crowd,” Embiid said, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “They’re going to boo me. I’m going to go back at them and tell them to ‘suck it.’ And so it’s going to be fun.”
Embiid, a well-documented fan of the wrestling stable D-Generation X, loves to do their famous crotch chop celebration — he’s been fined by the NBA for this, and he did it in the aftermath of the Serbia game.
For the 60th game in a row, the United States women’s basketball team was able to pick up a win. This time, it was a dominant, 85-64 win over Australia that put them on the verge of their eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal. It was a nearly wire-to-wire win for the U.S., as they never trailed, never let the game be tied after it was 2-2 in the opening moments, and were able to get their lead up to as many as 30 points early in the fourth quarter.
As has been the case for the entire tournament, the 1-2 punch of Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson proved to be too much for their opponents. Stewart led the way for the Americans with 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 6-for-12 shooting from the field, and while Wilson wasn’t as dominant of a scorer as we’ve gotten used to seeing during the Olympics, she still managed to impose her will on the game with 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting with eight boards, four blocks, two steals, and an assist.
The pair were deputized by a strong showing from Jackie Young, who had 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals, while Kahleah Copper came off the bench and gave the team 11 points, six boards, and three assists. Once again, the United States’ defense was stellar, as Australia — which put up 85 points in its quarterfinal matchup with Serbia — only shot 25-for-69 (36.2 percent) from the field and 7-for-29 (24.1 percent) from behind the three-point line.
The win locked up a spot in the championship game for the U.S., where they will be overwhelming favorites to come out on top regardless of who wins the semifinal matchup between France and Belgium — the Americans have not played the French in this tournament, while they went up against the Belgians during group play and won 87-74. Their opponent will be decided on Friday afternoon, while the gold medal will be on the line on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Even during the year’s hottest months, Seafood Sam manages to stay cool, calm, and collected. The Long Beach rapper lives in a world that blends nostalgia and modernity. Furthermore, Sam does things his way — when and wherever he wants. Look no further than him giving his dog the most lavish and exuberant at-home spa treatments possible. Much of this unrestricted individuality lives on his new album Standing On Giant Shoulders.
The giant shoulders mentioned in the album’s title are James Brown, Bobby Brown, and Miles Davis — a trio of soul singers that inspire Sam’s creative process. This inspiration takes shape on tracks like “Pearly Gates Playlist” as Sam takes an introspective approach to confronting the male ego while “Can’t Take The Hood To Heaven” supplies a lush hook for a reminder to make something of yourself while you can. “Cowboy Leather” with Pink Sifu brandishes a symphony of flutes, strings, and an ear-pleasing bass line while “Attack Of The Dreadlocks” with Rae Khalil makes use of summery guitar strings for a warning to those who get in the way of Sam’s grind and hustle.
All in all, Seafood Sam’s Standing On Giant Shoulders thrives by bridging the gap between Sam’s inspirations and the current world he raps in. The album’s unique experience moves the soul and settles the mind for an overall feeling that listeners will certainly want more of.
With the album out now and in rotation, we caught up with Seafood Sam to learn more about him for this week’s Uproxx Music 20 column. Scroll down to learn more about the Long Beach rapper’s inspirations, influences, and aspirations.
I remember being really young in the car with my mom and Zapped & Roger’s “I Wanna Be Your Man” came on and I lost it… asking who’s the artist and what other songs do they sing, I instantly got full invested. (Same with Teena Marie).
Who inspired you to take music seriously?
Wiz Khalifa & Curren$y. Once I heard “Kush & OJ” and “Covert Coupe,” music was no longer a hobby.
Do you know how to play an instrument? If so, which one? If not, which instrument do you want to learn how to play?
Naw, not yet. But give me two ballpoint pens and any desk/table and I’m making beats for days. But I’d like to learn the saxophone or piano.
What was your first job?
Working at this skate shop in the Long Beach town center.
What is your most prized possession?
Won’t say it’s the 1st or 2nd most prized, but I will say my Allen Iverson rookie card.
You get 24 hours to yourself to do anything you want, with unlimited resources: What are you doing? And spare no details!
Real Estate. Own a whole city worth of properties (sell some, rent some out & give some out to those in need… you know that forever income)
What are your three most used emojis?
, , and .
What’s a feature you need to secure before you die?
Sade.
If you could appear in a future season of a current TV show, which one would it be and why?
I don’t watch TV that much and even though it’s not currently running I would’ve love to be a voice on The Boondocks cause it’s so many legendary people that worked on that show — R.I.P. John Witherspoon.
Which celebrity do you admire or respect for their personality and why?
Denzel Washington. From what I’ve seen, he’s always cool, calm & professional.
Share your opinion on something no one could ever change your mind about.
Waffles better than pancakes.
What is the best song you’ve ever heard in your life and what do you love about it?
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform, and what’s a city you’re excited to perform in for the first time?
Hometown shows are always fun, but I can’t lie, recently performing in Brooklyn was insane. I love the energy over there. I’d like to do a world tour and perform everywhere that wanna see me.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location where it would be held.
I’m bringing the show home to Long Beach with performances by Sade, Kendrick Lamar, and Snoop Dogg of course, me & I’ll let the homies rock out the opening slot.
What would you be doing now if it weren’t for music?
Probably working a 9-5 job trying to figure out how to get into music.
If you could see five years into the future or go five years into the past, which one would you pick and why?
Future… I already seen what happened 5 years ago.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
No advice really, maybe just a few money moves to be aware of. Cause everything’s happening how it was suppose to.
It’s 2050. The world hasn’t ended, and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
The smoothest & coolest.
Standing On Giant Shoulders is out now via Drink Sum Wtr. Find out more information here.
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