The season 2 finale of Smiling Friends is about a brought-to-life snowman who learns about the concept of death and can’t stop screaming. There’s also a yeti and the ghost of Bill Nye. Earlier in the season, there are episodes about a washed-up video game mascot who gets sprayed with a hose; a frog (Mr. Frog, to put some respect to his name) that runs for president, and wins by one vote; and a prank played by aliens involving blowing up a deserted planet.
Smiling Friends is wild — and one of the best animated shows on TV. But when will the Adult Swim animated series be back for more adventures?
Here’s everything you need to know about Smiling Friends season 3, including plot details and whether there’s a release date.
Plot
Smiling Friends follows the employees of a charitable company that is tasked with bringing joy to its clients by any means necessary. There’s pessimistic Charlie, cheerful Pim, deadpan Allan, adorable Glep, and their boss, Mr. Boss. The show’s bosses, creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, haven’t said much about season 3, but don’t expect things to suddenly get serious.
“A lot of comedy shows, like you say, tend to get serious. I don’t think Charlie and Pim could cry and anybody would care. It would just be annoying. So it would probably end before it gets to that point,” Hadel said at the Annecy Animation Festival in June. “This show is hopefully kind of an escape. We always think about when we worked minimum-wage jobs, we would get home and just want to watch YouTube cartoons and South Park and Always Sunny. There’s something nice about being a little comedy thing, and that’s it.”
Cusack aims to keep “a continuous tone with Smiling Friends, where you can tune in in any season. You don’t really know where you are.” Hagel added, “I don’t think we’ll ever do serialization. It’s supposed to just be popcorn. It’s McDonald’s of TV.” It’s the perfect show to cheer you up while you’re eating lunch at work, ideally with a Big Mac (or a Century Egg).
Cast
Nearly every main character on Smiling Friends is voiced by co-creators Michael Cusack (Pim, Allan, Mr. Frog) and Zach Hadel (Charlie, Glep, Gwimbly), or Marc M. (The Boss). Guest stars have included Finn Wolfhard, the late Gilbert Gottfried, Erica Lindbeck, Dana Snyder (Master Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force), and Doug Walker (The Nostalgia Critic).
Release Date
Smiling Friends was renewed for season 3 (not a certainty with how Warner Bros. Discovery. had been handling over animated programs) over the summer. A premiere date has not been announced yet, but unless there’s an unexpected The Venture Bros.-style hiatus, you can expect season 3 in 2025.
No. 6 Oregon played host to Michigan State on Friday night in Eugene, as the Ducks welcomed the Spartans into town for the first time as Big Ten foes. Michigan State drove down inside the five on their first drive of the game but fumbled on the goal line, and things went downhill from there for most of the night, as their offense could never really get going again.
On the other side, Oregon didn’t play perfect, with Dillon Gabriel throwing a couple first half interceptions in the red zone, but they still took a 21-0 lead into the half and quickly extended that to 31-0 in the early fourth quarter. At that point, those that bet the Ducks (anywhere from -22.5 to -23.5) felt pretty good about cashing a bet on Friday night. But the Spartans signed up for four quarters and were able to finally find pay dirt in the fourth quarter to make things a bit dicey.
As the game entered the final minute, Sparty had driven the ball into Oregon territory setting up a scenario where the only people invested in the outcome were those financially involved in the spread. Michigan State’s progress stalled out as they got near the red zone, and they found themselves facing a 4th and 14, trailing by 24 with 30 seconds to play. Jonathan Smith sent out kicker Jonathan Kim for a 42-yard attempt that was extremely important to some, and Kim put one between the uprights and in the eyehole of anyone holding a Ducks ticket.
MICHIGAN STATE (+22.5) KICKS THE FG AND COVERS EVERY NUMBER
Look, sometimes you gotta know where your wins are going to be as a head coach, and in that moment, Smith might not have been able to deliver an upset on the road but he could make sure the boosters cashed some tickets on the spread. I doubt Smith would admit to knowing what the number was, but if he did, he wouldn’t be the first to play for a cover to at least give the fans something on an otherwise dismal night. As for Oregon backers, they felt the pain of the backdoor hitting them in the face in a game where it never looked in doubt, but that’s always the danger with a big favorite is they could let go of the rope down the stretch.
This week, Eminem revealed he’s going to be a grandfather in his video for “Temporary.”
Denzel Curry and Maxo Kream menaced their enemies with the video for “Set It.”
Ferg and Future recaptured their “New Level” chemistry with “Allure.”
Lil Durk kicked off the rollout for his new album, Deep Thoughts, with “Monitoring Me.”
And Pharrell’s Doodleverse experiment continued with Swae Lee and Lil Yachty
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending October 4, 2024.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
310babii — 310degrees/em>
310babii
Inglewood rapper 310babii completes his rise to stardom — and his tenure in high school — with a West Coast party rap-focused project picking up where his debut album, Nights And Weekends, left off. The 13-track collection features collaborations with fellow California natives BlueBucksClan, OhGeesy, and Saweetie, as well as fellow teen sensation Luh Tyler, and more.
Powers Pleasant — Life Sucks
Powers Pleasant
The whole world basically turned upside-down since the Beast Coast producer’s last project, 2019’s Life Is Beatiful, and he reflects that change with the title of his latest. What doesn’t suck, though, is Powers’ production, which remains as futuristic and charismatic as ever. Likewise, he Nick Furies together an impressive lineup of rappers ranging from AG Club and Audrey Nuna on “Baby Boy Is Drunk” to Bay Area swagapino standouts Guapdad and P-Lo on “I’m The Shit” to his longtime Pro Era cohorts on “SMH.”
Rich Homie Quan — Forever Goin In
Rich Homie Quan
Rich Homie Quan is gone but not forgotten, and true to form, his estate ensures that his promise to “never stop goin in” still rings true with his first posthumous release. 2 Chainz, Lil Tjay, Plies, Skilla Baby, and Sukihana all put in appearances, but Quan rolls solo on 27 of the 35(!) tracks here, demonstrating what the rap world will be missing out on in his absence.
Tay B — You’re Welcome
Tay B
Hailing from Detroit, Tay B represents Moto City well, thanks in part to the efforts of first-time executive producer Lil Baby (who makes an appearance on “All Ten”), and in part to flashy features from fellow Motowners BabyTron and Skilla Baby. Tay’s off-kilter flow pairs well with thunderous production from a fleet of rising beatmakers.
Tee Grizzley — Post Traumatic
Tee Grizzley
Speaking of the city by the lake, Tee Grizzley extends his impressively productive run with 24 new tracks featuring 42 Dugg, Fridayy, Future, G Herbo, Hunxho, J.Cole, Mariah The Scientist, and YTB Fatt. His output over the past two years has been nothing short of machine-like, with three projects in 2023 before taking the ten-month break that resulted in Post Traumatic.
Almost as soon as you hit play on the Buffalo natives’ latest, Busta Rhymes starts beating your head in with boisterous boasts over a ghoulish beat that puts the lie to the assumption that gritty, hardcore street hip-hop is dead.
Bay Swag — “Not Like Me”
Sexy drill doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Bay Swag takes the baton from Cash Cobain and Chow Lee, sprinting for the anchor leg and ensuring they finish 2024, the Year of Sexy Drill, as strongly as possible.
Cochise — “Nasty” Feat. Aminé
If you recently found yourself wondering where the heck all the squeaky voice rappers went after that initial boom a couple of years ago, I’m happy to report that Cochise appears to be keeping the tradition alive. Aminé, who recently surfaced again after the conclusion of his Kaytraminé rollout, puts in an admirable appearance, as well.
Dej Loaf — “Miami Flow”
Dej Loaf’s comeback appears to be going well. After raising eyebrows a couple of weeks ago with “BNB,” the pint-sized Detroiter gets back to swaggering sh*t talking on her latest. It appears a new album may be in offing for Dej, which will be more than welcome among those who never stopped supporting the “Try Me” rapper over the past decade.
Jaden — “D.U.M.B.”
Jaden starts the rollout for his new album with a rollicking single questioning society and relationships. It’s a refreshing new direction, but also a return to his roots after he took a hard swing into surf rock on CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3.
(WARNING: Spoilers for Power Book II: Ghost will be found below.)
Power Book II: Ghost seemed to be the most successful and most beloved series out of all the <em>Power spin-offs. Despite that, the show was not renewed for a fifth season in a surprise announcement from STARZ earlier this year. Last night, the series finale for Ghost aired, with the show bidding goodbye to beloved characters like Tariq, Brayden, Cane, Diana, Dru, Effie, and others for one final time. It was a sad, but fitting ending to the Ghost series, but why did the show have to come to an end?
Why Is Season 4 The Last Season Of Power Book II: Ghost?
Earlier this year, STARZ CEO Jeff Hirsch bluntly explained that the rising cost to produce a season of Ghost seemingly led to its end. Hirsch shared his explanation at the Deutsche Bank media conference:
“When seasons go from one to two to three to four [seasons], three to four is where the cost really pops because most of the actors get bigger raises, and you have to really manage that. So, you have to have in your portfolio of development shows that can actually replace shows as they get into later seasons.
As you turn the slate over to go from season four and five economics, to season one economics, you can pull a ton of cost out of the business. What you have to do is map out each of those shows and … what the curve looks like, and know where you have to pop a new show on to bring that cost down. And so we’ve got a pretty good map of what that looks like. Because again, we focus on those two core demos, we’ve been able to manufacture hits for those demos.
And so when you bring a BMF on — you know, BMF will be probably one of our two biggest shows, okay, it looks a lot like Power, it cost half as much, right?
You look at the [Power] map and say, ‘Okay, if I take one of those characters out and spin one of those out, I can bring that on to replace the Power show at half the cost.’ Now I’m putting a lot of money right to the bottom line. And I’m really not losing anything in terms of acquisition costs and subscriber viewership, because we know what those demos want. And we know how to line those up. And so that’s really the core of getting to that 20% [margin] — turning that slate over with fresh content to drive the business.
If you think about our slate of seven to 10 shows,” he said, “It’s a lot like the salary cap management in the NFL … if you have a special teams player who’s coming off his rookie deal and about to become a veteran … You can go back and draft and pick a rookie, bring them on with a rookie deal and manage costs. Managing a content portfolio of originals is kind of the same thing.
It’s a tough, but truthful explanation for the end of Ghost. The good news is that fans can look forward to new seasons of Power Book III: Raising Kanan and Power Book IV: Force in the next year, as well as the start of Origins, the prequel series STARZ announced earlier this year.
The entire ‘Power Universe’ is available to stream on STARZ.
Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. This is a great time of year for fans of rapper and sneaker brand collaboration. Last week, we got the latest Travis Scott Jordan linkup and this week we’re getting treated to Jack Harlow’s first signature New Balance. Now let’s be real, a Jack Harlow x New Balance link-up isn’t quite as exciting as a Cactus Jack-branded Jordan, but don’t write Mr. Harlow off yet, maybe we’re looking at the first entry in the hottest sneaker collaboration of the later half of the decade.
If five years ago you said Travis Scott was going to be the hottest name in sneakers, I wouldn’t have believed you, especially with how huge Yeezy Brand was at the time. It just goes to show that you never know how these things are going to turn out!
Aside from big-name sneaker collaborations, this is also a great week for fans of classic silhouettes like the Jordan 1 and Dunk, and even more obscure sneakers like the Air Force 3. Here are this week’s best sneaker drops and where to find them.
It’s been a minute since we’ve gotten a truly dope trail-ready sneaker this year, so we’re pretty psyched about this week’s Air Humara Hemp and Sesame, which looks like it should come with a bag of trail mix right in the shoebox.
The Hemp and Sesame features a mixed synthetic leather and leather upper with woven details and reflective accents for enhanced visibility, which is perfect for anyone planning a haunted Halloween hike who doesn’t want to get completely lost in the woods after sunset.
The Nike Air Terra Humara Hemp and Sesame is out now for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
NikeNike
Paris Saint-Germain x Air Jordan 1 Sail and Off Noir
Nike and Paris Saint-Germain have formed a fruitful partnership, and the latest drop is one of the best we’ve seen so far. What we’ve got here is simple, it’s a Jordan 1 outfitted in smooth premium leather in Sail with Off Noir panels, and a gradient toe box using Nike’s Infrared 23 and Pink Oxford colors.
It’s a greatest hits collection of famous Nike colors that sports an embossed Swoosh and PSG branding on the tongue. You don’t have to be a PSG fan to rock these sneakers, but you have to at least have a soft spot for Paris, since the famous city is written right on the shoe.
The Paris Saint-Germain x Air Jordan 1 Sail and Off Noir is out now for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair at Nike or your favorite aftermarket site.
NikeNike
Nike Air Force 3 Low x NIGO Blue Void and Tour Yellow
Legendary Japanese fashion designer is bringing back the Air Force 3 — that alone has us hyped for his latest with Nike. Nigo has dressed this AF-3 in a mix of bold primary colors over a mix of leather, both real and synthetic, with shiny patent leather details. The sneaker is inspired by ’80s Japanese super hero comics, but to us the sneaker looks straight out of Lego Land.
Some people are going to love that, and some are going to hate it, but we rather a sneaker evoke some sort of reaction rather than straight indifference.
The Nike Air Force 1 Low x NIGO Blue Void and Tour Yellow is set to drop on October 4th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Whoever is in charge at Nike of the women’s line of Jordan sneakers deserves a raise. This year, the women’s-only Jordans have consistently been some of the best sneakers we’ve seen all year. Case in point the Satin Shadow, a sneaker inspired by the satin flight suits Jordan used to wear in the ‘80s.
The Satin Shadow features a soft satin upper in a mix of silver and black. It’s a simple two-color design that manages to look elevated and next level.
The Women’s Air Jordan 1 OG Satin Shadow is set to drop on October 5th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
NikeNike
Nike SB Zoom Blazer x Dancer Skateboards Black and Metallic Silver
Nike has linked up with Copenhagen-based skate brand Dancer for the Zoom Blazer, a skate-ready take on the legendary Blazer silhouette.
The sneaker features a premium leather upper designed to take a beating with a mix of debossed and embossed graphics with artwork from Dancer’s designers in a black and metallic silver colorway. Are we looking at a modern skatewear classic? Maybe.
The Nike SB Zoom Blazer x Dancer Skateboards Black and Metallic Silver is set to drop on October 5th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Considering how many dark and moody colorways the brand is dropping this week, it looks like Nike is prepping us for the spooky season, and as lovers of Halloween, we’re here for it. If the SB Blazer or Satin Shadow Jordan 1 aren’t doing it for you, consider the Dunk Low Berlin Black and Off Noir.
Inspired by the leather-loving city of Berlin, this Dunk Low sports a mix of real, synthetic, and patent leather on the upper with reflective details and hoop charms at the laces meant to reflect the city’s legendary nightlife scene. The sneaker also features a tongue label that reads “No Photography Allowed.” It’s the only sneaker that I could see a member of Depeche Mode wearing.
The Nike Dunk Low Berlin Black and Off Noir is set to drop on October 5th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
NikeNike
Adidas Rolling Links MC Z-Traxion Spikeless Golf Shoes
If you love the look and feel of golf shoes but want to actually be able to wear them off the course, look no further than the Adidas Rolling Links MC Z-Traxion Spikeless Golf Shoes. These sneakers feature a leather upper and lining over a BOOST midsole equipped with patented Gripmore rubber and a sleek and simple design.
They almost look like dress shoes, which is ironic to say about a sneaker whose origins are on the green.
The Adidas Rolling Links MC Z-Traxion Spikeless Golf Shoes are set to drop on October 4th at 8:00 AM PST for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair at Adidas.
Jack Harlow is no stranger to New Balance. The rapper has served as a brand ambassador and poster boy in the past, so it is fitting that he’s finally getting his very own special colorway. Built on the 1906R silhouette, the Rose Runner sports a cotton textile upper dressed in an all-over print inspired by floral embroidery with leather overlays. It has a luxurious quality to it, like an old vintage chair you’d find at an antique shop.
Yes, that’s right, I just compared a sneaker with a rapper’s name attached to it to an antique chair, but that’s what makes the Rose Runner so dope. It feels like a shoe only Jack Harlow could’ve given us, and that’s the sign of a great collab.
The Jack Harlow x New Balance 1906R is set to drop on October 4th at 9 AM PST for a retail price of $179.99. Pick up a pair at New Balance.
New BalanceNew Balance
Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.
(WARNING: Spoilers for Power Book II: Ghost will be found below.)
Just like that, Power Book II: Ghost is a thing of the past as the series came to a close with the tenth and final episode in its fourth anf final season. The series finale saw the surprising (and unsurprising) departure of characters on the show. Following Monet Tejada’s death in episode nine, the death toll in creased as Noma and Anya joined the list. The Tejada children successfully avenged Monet’s death by killing Noma, while Tariq broke free from Detective Carter by setting him up against his partner. In the end, Tariq got to ride off into the sunset, ensure his family’s safety, and begin his tenure at the top of the drug game.
What’s Next For The Power Universe After Power Book II: Ghost?
This won’t be the last we see of Tariq St. Patrick! In the Power Book II: Ghost series finale, we see him answer a call for help from an unknown person. Fan theories have named the caller to be anyone from Cane to Tommy to maybe even Tariq’s mother Tasha. The possibilities are endless, but my money is on the caller being Tommy as the third season of Power Book IV: Force is around the corner. Tommy previously made a guest appearance is Ghost during its third season, so it would be nice to see Tariq return the favor.
A new era is certainly on the horizon for the Power Universe. STARZ already announced that Force would not be renewed after its upcoming third season. That leaves just Power Book III: Raising Kanan as the lone surviving original Power spin-off. That series received renewals for season four and five, giving fans plenty of time before they have to think about saying goodbye to the series.
The big moment for the Power Universe comes with its upcoming spin-off prequel series, currently titled Origins. Earlier this year, STARZ confirmed the series was in development and revealed that it would focus on the beginning story of Power characters Ghost and Tommy. Not much has been shared about Origins since the announcement, but fans can expect new information, like cast and a premiere date, to arrive in the coming months.
The Power Universe will live to see another day, but what it looks like remains to be seen.
The entire ‘Power Universe’ is available to stream on STARZ.
When it comes to Los Angeles, Estevan Oriol has seen it all. The photographer, director, fashion label head, and entrepreneur was there when DIY punk rock and new wave culture spread throughout the southland in the ‘80s. He was there during hip-hop’s rise from a niche hood sub-genre to a global dominating force. He watched the landscape and skyline of Los Angeles grow and transform into what it is today.
Oriol, who has taken many an iconic LA photo (including the best documentation of the LA fingers symbol in our opinion), first got into photography at the urging of his father, who gave him an old camera and told him to document his experiences as a tour manager for ‘90s hip hop groups like House of Pain and Cypress Hill. Oriol hasn’t put his camera down since.
During the George Floyd marches in 2020, Oriol was where he’s always been — in the streets with the people, finger on the pulse, documenting it all with his camera. Even a rubber bullet to the chest during the protests couldn’t dissuade him from telling the story of the streets.
Throughout his career, LA isn’t the only place Oriol has been; he’s established a name for himself that spans countries and cultures, whether that means documenting the burgeoning Japanese low-rider scene, taking portraits of everyone from Al Pacino and Robert De Niro to Kim Kardashian, Chloe Grace Moretz, Eminem, and Snoop Dogg, to working with big brands like Nike and Cadillac. His work has been shown in galleries and institutions worldwide, establishing himself as one of the most influential documentarians of Los Angeles Chicano culture.
Roger Gastman
Only one other name comes to mind when I think about influential artists who helped shape and chronicle Chicano culture in LA — Teen Angel. For those not in the know, the late Teen Angel cut his teeth working for Lowrider Magazine before branching off in the early ‘80s to create the eponymous self-published zine Teen Angel’s.
Teen Angel’s was a special magazine for kids and young adults growing up in the barrios of Los Angeles. The magazine featured hand-drawn art, photographs, poems, dedications, and writings that focused on and celebrated Chicano culture. It challenged stereotypes but it also didn’t shy away from the reality of life in the underserved communities in Los Angeles.
It reminds me of one of my favorite Andre 3000 bars from Stankonia’s “Humble Mumble.”
“I met a critic, I made her shit her drawers. She said she thought hip-hop was only about guns and alcohol. I said ‘Oh hell nah,’ but yet it’s that too. You can’t discrimi-hate ‘cause you done read a book or two.”
Teen Angel’s showed that underneath the grime and grit of Los Angeles’ barrios, there was art, love, passion, and a fascinating and uniquely American experience while giving equal space and voice to cholo street culture. It didn’t depict an idealized form of the Chicano experience in America but sought to depict life as it was, warts and all.
For Oriol’s latest exhibit at LA’s Beyond The Streets Gallery, he has teamed up with the Teen Angel estate for Dedicated To You, an exhibit that celebrates Teen Angel’s Magazine by pairing its style, ethos, and artwork with some of Oriol’s most iconic photographs. We met up with Oriol at the gallery — which is enjoying an extended run until October 27th — to talk about the exhibit, how to keep Chicano culture alive and growing, and got a bit into his clothing brand and future projects.
***
What is the main thing you want this exhibit to convey to people?
This part of LA or this part of the culture in that era [the ’90s]. I just want people to see what it was like, what we were living like and what we were doing, the kind of stuff we were into, the style of everything at that time.
It’s cool that a new generation is trying to emulate it now. Everybody’s bringing back the same style of dress, the low-riding, the cars are still here. We’ve kept the music going. We don’t want to let people forget about that era and this culture.
What was your relationship to Teen Angel, the magazine, early on?
I used to collect it. I loved it and I thought it was cool. It’s like the way people say, “if you know, you know.” That magazine was really that shit. If you know, you know. And 99.99% of the people don’t know.
It was a small thing in our community that we knew about and we collected it. It was only in select liquor stores or newsstands and only in the hood. You couldn’t get it in Beverly Hills. You had to know the stores. It wasn’t a big publication with distribution. His distribution was out of his car in his trunk.
Teen Angel was a real DYI, do it yourself, kind of a guy. Everything was cut and paste. There was no computer, no apps, no nothing. Everything was done by hand.
I can’t even imagine how long it must have taken-
Look at that alone (gesturing to a wall adorned with Teen Angel’s art.) It was so intricate. It’s overwhelming and this is not even a 1% of what this guy did. And as far as the photos go, this is not even 1% of my photos. I was doing this on the daily and still do, I’m not like a pack rat or hoarder of photos, but I just keep shooting every day for no reason. I just love to do it.
Dane Rivera
I mean, that’s a reason.
Yeah, that is the reason, but there’s no end goal for it.
What do I need more? I don’t need more photos for anything. It’s like millionaires and billionaires, they’re going to die with so much money in their bank that do they need to make any more? No, but they don’t want to stop working. They don’t want to stop the challenge or the game. So it’s like that for me. I don’t want to stop taking photos. I love it and that’s why I do it.
What do you think has been lost with the end of a publication like Teen Angel?
It was one of a kind. It was original and there’ll never be another like it, even if you tried to carry on the legacy or duplicate it. People have told me, “You should try to start it up again.” I could, but I want it to be authentic to what it was and would anybody want it?
People don’t seem to have a need for magazines any more. They just want an Instagram page. You can find one that’s dedicated to this kind of stuff. You don’t have to pay for anything. It doesn’t take up space in your house.
But I thought it’d be a great idea to keep the legacy going and put him in a place like this. He deserves to be in this place or a museum. I am in 28 museums. Smithsonian bought 13 of my pictures two years ago, so I’ve been in museums and will always be a part of museums because I collected my stuff. Teen Angel, all the work that he did and part of the culture he was, he needs to be in a high-end gallery like this.
Roger Gastman
I just wanted to ask a little bit about how you developed your photography skills. I know you started taking photos when you were the tour manager for House of Pain and Cypress Hill. How would you say your photos have changed from the early ’90s to now?
I don’t think they have. I haven’t changed anything about the way I take them. I haven’t really changed the equipment and I still shoot the same genres. I still shoot hip-hop, street life, low-riding. I would say just the time has changed, the date, but I’m still shooting some of the same people and the same types of people.
I would say that’s pretty well reflected in your photos from the George Floyd marches. If you want to nitpick, you can tell the difference between a photo like that and one of your early photos, but at the same time, there is a timeless quality about both of them that I think is really interesting.
Yeah, I love that. You don’t know when these photos were taken. It could be any time.
Dane Rivera
What would you say the state of Chicano culture is in 2024? The term “Chicano” is something that I heard a lot growing up in Los Angeles. My mom was very proud to be Chicana. But as I grew up, its a term I heard less and less. Do you think the culture is as vibrant as it was before?
Yeah, it’s just not new. Everything was new back then because there was the 70s movements, the 80s and in the 90s, they were all brand new and now it’s a mixture of all that plus what’s going on now. So you’ve got all kinds of people that argue about what the word “Chicano” means or who’s Chicano, not Chicano and all kinds of stuff.
We want to argue about everything online and who’s right, who’s wrong. I just want to live. I just want to live in peace and positive and non-toxic people and that’s what I see a lot of online, a bunch of toxic activities.
So what does that term, Chicano, mean to you?
To me, it means this era back then. Now people rip the words apart so much and meanings and who’s this and who’s that and where’s your mom from, where did your grandma live? It’s just so much drama. I just like to stay drama-free.
(Pointing out a family walking through the exhibit)
See, it’s cool seeing that lady. She grew up in this time and now she’s showing her kids all this and you see they have a style, the kids, reminiscent of the style back then. They’re trying to keep it alive, which is cool.
Dane Rivera
That’s exactly what I was going to ask next. How do we preserve that culture?
Like this.
Try and tell the story the way you know it and don’t let somebody else tell it. For example, I want to do a documentary on my dad. I want to do it now while he’s alive, he’s 82. But I want him to tell his story, not us telling it after he’s dead and gone.
I want to give him the opportunity to tell what it was like for him because he was a big part of the Chicano movement in the 80s in San Diego. He was part of a group called the Chicano Federation in Logan Heights and the way he got into taking pictures was he wanted to document the way that industrial people were treating the neighborhoods where our people lived.
There was a lot of pollution, a lot of dangerous shit. Nobody gave a fuck. Kids were walking to school and there’s barbed wire hanging on fences or stuff that could hurt a kid just walking out of school. My dad was an activist and a community leader.
He opened up a bunch of dental and medical clinics free for the people and he started taking photos, documenting all that stuff. A lot of his friends were the ones who did the murals in Chicano Park. I want him to tell that story. And he has the photos to back it up.
Like me, I have photos to tell my stories. I tell people stories and they think I’m bullshitting. They’re like, “Oh, there’s no way.” Six months before this show opened, a young person that is a fan of Teen Angel was telling me about a story of this guy that went to Teen Angels’ house after he died and sho pictures of the way Teen Angels’ house was, exactly the way everything he left it.
I go, “That was me.” And he goes, “Fuck out of here, you’re full of shit.” And they don’t believe it. But I have backup.
You have the photos.
I got the photos. The photos backup all this. I was at Woodstock when there was 500,000 people in the 1994. I was at the riots in ’92 and 2020. I was there when so many things started. Been low riding since I bought my car in ’89. So I’ve seen the nineties, 2000, 2010, 2020. I’m in the culture, I”ve seen punk rock, hip-hop, all that shit from the 80s when that started.
So why are you always putting yourself in these places? Is it just curiosity?
I don’t know why I go. I just go with the flow. Where else should I be? In my house? I want to be where the pulse is. I want to be where the heart is pumping and that’s LA.
As a kid, you want to go to concerts, clubs. I ended up going to punk rock concerts, clubs, all that shit. Ended up working at the clubs, ended up meeting guys that went to the clubs and ended up meeting and working with bands. We toured around the world. Through all that, I met people that were in the low-riding scene and wanted to low-ride since I was a teenager and then ended up getting my own low-rider.
And then I started taking photos after that. Other photographers have shot this culture, but they were coming from the outside, just thinking “Hey, that looks cool. I’m a photographer. I know exactly how to document.”
But I was already in the culture and then I started taking photos. I get mad at myself because I didn’t take enough and I wasn’t a real photographer, I didn’t approach it that way. I could’ve thought like, I’m going to shoot a segment of girl gang members and then guys and I’m going to shoot details of the hairstyles and the kind of shoes they wore and the jewelry they wore. I didn’t think of it like that. I was just like, “Hey homie, that looks cool. Let me get a flick of you in your car that I’ve seen you working on for two years.”
It was just a different approach for me. I got some good shit, but I missed a lot of shit.
How do you feel about Japanese low-rider culture? I know you worked with a lot of Japanese mags back in the day.
I love it. They’re fucking incredible. They’re great. I almost want to say they do shit better, but–
People will come for you.
Yeah, I don’t want everybody to get butt hurt. But the Japanese, fuck, man, they kill it. Food, design, style. They took what we did to the highest level and how are you going to be mad at them for that?
People look at it like, “Oh, they’re taking our shit.” They’re taking our shit and making it look better. What’s wrong with that?
Estevan Oriol via @JokerBrandOfficial
I wanted to talk about your clothing brand, Joker. Tell me a little bit about that.
Well, how it started was that originally me and my partner, Big Lucky, were doing construction and working on this guy’s house in Hollywood Hills and he liked the way we dressed, Dickies, Levi’s, Nike Cortez and stuff.
He liked our whole thing and said “I want to open a store.” So we opened a store called Super Max in 1992, and it was in between Martel and Poinsettia on Melrose. We carried 501s, Dickies, Cortez’s, Chucks, pro club T-shirts, old school clothes, and then we brought in Cypress Hill and House of Pain merch in there.
The owner of that store got cocky and started trying to act crazy with us, treated us like shit because he was the boss. We weren’t going for that. We’re trying to do something cool and he was being a dick. We were like, “fuck him.” So we shut it down and he moved out.
Then we started a clothing company called Not Guilty, and we didn’t know anything about business so we incorporated it and we had this book with a stamp and we thought we were in the business game. I graduated high school with like a 1.8, which was just the highest D you could have, and my friend graduated with that or less. He didn’t give a fuck about school either.
So we didn’t know anything about trademarking, copywriting, incorporating, llc, none of that shit like they should teach you in school. We came out with this incorporation book and we thought we were doing it and ended up getting shut down by this lady that had the trademark worldwide. So we went to her office and we’re like, “Hey, let us do the hip-hop version of Not Guilty and you can do the lame shit that you do.”
We had just been on fucking TV for Woodstock, Be Real was wearing a Not Guilty shirt. But she ended up shutting us down. Then in ’95, me and Lucky had got Everlast from House of Pain to invest and then I stopped working with him and started working with Cypress.
B-roll was like, “Hey, why don’t we start a clothing line and I’ll be the investor.” So we got Joker… Lucky was in prison. When he came out, we had him running Joker.
So me and B-roll were taking care of marketing and all that shit while on tour and blasting it out to the people. Lucky handled the shit back home. But we didn’t realize we were essentially being influencers, doing marketing… but to us we were just like, “Hey homies, let’s just wear the shirts on stage and we’ll give them out to all the homies that are on tour with us.”
That’s how we were thinking. But in the scheme and scale of things, the way businesses work, that’s crazy. That’s what every company wishes for. It was a fucking multi-platinum band wearing the clothes on every single tour and giving it to other bands that they’re on tour with.
So as we were building up Joker, B-roll wanted to use his money toward the music instead. So we paid him back and then I got other investors and that was a shit show, a fucking circus act and ended up getting burned a couple of times and now it’s just me and I’m keeping the legacy going.
With those other investors, the brand had gotten watered down and ran into the ground by people that were only interested in the money. They didn’t care about the integrity of the brand or preserving the culture of it. They’re just like, “fuck it, let’s do it cheaper and make the most money.” And if it’s shit quality, who gives a fuck?
But me, I gave a fuck. I was working with guys in Germany and Japan, they cared about the brand and the integrity and the quality.
But once I had a partner in that deal, he killed himself in a car crash, fell asleep at the wheel and ran and into the back of a semi. But once he was done, the other money people and me were on two different pages. So it took me a while to get it back from them, but once I got it back on my own, now I can do whatever I want.
If I want to make 10 shirts, I can make 10 or 10,000.
If I get a couple of thousand extra bucks and I just want to do a shirt for that, I do that. If somebody wants to do a bigger thing, I’ll do a bigger thing. But now I keep the quality what it’s supposed to be, how we started it.
What would you say the touchstones of Chicano and Chicana fashion are in your opinion? What does the uniform look like?
Right now, it’s all over the place. I’ve seen skinny jeans and guys that used to wear 2XL shirts wearing a small shirt. But me? My clothes haven’t changed since the 90s. These jeans have a 46, 48 waist.
My daughters took me to a store in the mall saying “Hey dad, you need to get with the times you’re stuck in the 90s, you’re wearing 2-3 XL shirts and 46, 48 pants.” I used to wear bigger ones, but I’ve toned it down a little bit now that I’m older.
I went to try on all those clothes and I came out looking like a fucking clown. And I was like, “Okay, I got my Jordans on and my fit, how do I look?” And they go, “Shit.” Even the girl, her job is to sell clothes, it’s the number one store in the mall. She’s like, “Nah, nah.” She goes, “Sir, can I be honest with you? My job is to sell clothes. You look better with what you came in than anything that I could think of putting on you, it ain’t even worth me making the money. You look cool how you are.” Thank you. I got to tell my daughter, “you see?”
Does your daughter have a Chicana influence in her fashion sense, or is it her own thing?
She’s on her own, but she grew up in it, so she gets it, but she also is staying with the times. She’s relevant, current. We always have to learn from the young people, but at the same time, you have to be you, that’s what I try to do.
For my final question, I wanted to ask — I know you make documentaries. This is LA, we’re a movie-making town. Have you ever thought of making a movie? And if you did, what era would it be set in?
I do want to make movies, that’s why I started doing documentaries because I thought if I made a documentary and I directed it, in my mind, I figured taht means I directed a movie so I could direct a TV Show, or a movie or whatever.
But Hollywood, they don’t give a fuck what you’ve done before. If I’ve done two number one documentaries, they’re like, “Oh, that’s cool. You did documentary, but you’ve never done TV before or you’ve never done a feature, so we don’t know if you could do that or not.”
What are you fucking talking about? How can that not be you watch it the same? As a person, I go and I sit down and I watch what, and I’m looking at the cameras and the color and the style, the way it’s edited. I’m listening what the people are saying and the music that was chosen. But to them, it’s like a documentary is a documentary, movie is a movie and TV’s TV.
I get that now, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t do it because those are different things. It’s just like acting. Could you do a comedic movie? Once you did a comedy movie, would you be able to do a drama, a thriller, a horror, or a romantic movie?
That’s how they think. To me, I think if you can act, you can act. If you can direct, you can direct.
But I do have ideas for movies and definitely want to do one. And I’ve been pitching movie ideas for about 20 years. So like everybody else in LA or Hollywood, I’m waiting for my big break.
In a behind-the-scenes sense, it’s a big day for the 2025 Grammy Awards: Today (October 4) marks the opening of the first round of Grammy voting. (Here are some other key dates to keep an eye on.) Right away, some have noticed that a major name is mysteriously missing from the ballot.
Variety reports that per “industry sources,” Zach Bryan’s name is not on “the massive ballot that just went out to Grammy voters.” The publication further relays that a search of the online ballot that’s only available to Recording Academy members reveals “Bryan’s name does not appear among the thousands of contestants whose work has been submitted for Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, or Song Of The Year.” His albums or songs don’t appear in any rock, country, or Americana categories, either.
Presumably, this means Bryan intentionally did not submit his work for Grammy consideration. It’s not clear why this would be the case, but two potential options are that Bryan decided to boycott the Grammys for some reason, or that he simply doesn’t care about the awards show. There’s also the possibility that there’s no animosity/apathy, that Bryan and/or his label, Warner Records, simply forgot to submit, or missed a submission deadline.
Bryan has yet to offer a public comment about the situation, while Warner has not responded to Variety‘s request for comment. Bryan presumably wouldn’t have a results-based reason to be upset with the Recording Academy, as he just won his first Grammy Award earlier this year, picking up the Best Country Duo/Group Performance award alongside Kacey Musgraves for “I Remember Everything.”
Whatever’s happening here, Bryan certainly isn’t afraid to go against the music industry’s biggest establishments: Early in his rise to mainstream fame, he was famously combative with Ticketmaster, going as far as dropping a live album titled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bronny James out of USC in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. It was one of the least surprising things to happen in recent NBA Draft history, as LeBron James had repeatedly stated his desire to play basketball alongside his son in the waning years of his career.
L.A. was able to do that, using the 55th pick this June to bring Bronny on board. But as it turns out, there was another Western Conference rival that considered beating the Lakers to the punch. In a new piece by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, it was revealed that the Golden State Warriors thought about using the 52nd pick on Bronny, but decided against it as a way to respect LeBron’s wishes.
Redick was in the room when the Lakers made history and a dream into reality.
He stood next to Pelinka as the Golden State Warriors, who had tried to trade for James last season, weighed whether to take Bronny at No. 52. The Warriors liked Bronny’s skill set and had him on their draft board, sources said. Selecting him ahead of the Lakers, who held the 55th pick, would’ve been a shrewd move — perhaps even to entice James to sign there as a free agent. But ultimately, sources said, the Warriors opted to respect the wishes James had made clear and the Lakers signaled they would grant.
The elder James has a lengthy history with the Warriors, as he faced off against Steph Curry and co. in the NBA Finals four years in a row during his time in Cleveland. And most recently, the Warriors actually considered trading for LeBron at the trade deadline this past February, but ultimately, their efforts were unsuccessful.
Benzino is a legend in the hip-hop culture. So, is “Luka & Kyrie” rapper Eminem. But, their longstanding feud is even more iconic. For years, the duo have gone back-and-forth in song and online. However, fans will be pleased to know that their tension will not impact their children (Uproxx cover star Coi Leray and Hailie Jade).
After Eminem announced that he would soon be a grandfather, courtesy of Hailie, like the world Benzino shared his reaction to the news. But, instead of taking a jab at his forever foe, he congratulated him in an Instagram live broadcast (viewable here).
“Somebody found out that they’re going to be a grandfather,” he said. “And irony is even though he said, ‘Nobody wants to hear their grandfather rap’ [a reference to the hook from Em’s Benzino diss song, “Nail In The Coffin”], I still wanna send out a congratulations to Eminem and his daughter Hailie on the news that she is about to give birth, and he’s about to be a grandad. I think this is a good time to put this behind us and let’s try to enjoy life and try to make some type of statement right now. I’m not doing this for no joke. I truly want to congratulate him and his daughter.”
He then continued, saying: “I’m not one yet, but I’m sure that day will come, and I’ll be proud just like he is. With all the craziness that’s going on, we need some peace, we need a statement so we can move forward. There it is. Congratulations to Eminem and Hailie, and let me know what the baby’s gonna be ’cause I definitely will send a gift for the baby shower, man. I’m sure you’ll make a great-grandfather. Love, bro.”
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