Year: 2024

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Please Don’t Cry isn’t just Rapsody’s most personal and vulnerable album – it’s also her best. It’s often been said that music is therapy, but sometimes, going to therapy leads to making better music. For as much has been made of authenticity in rap over the past several weeks, just what that means has become increasingly debatable. Thankfully, Rapsody’s latest, in addition to being one of those timeless projects that will stick to listeners’ ribs long after the last song has played, is a refreshing palate cleanser for a month of vitriol – as self-love tends to be.

Self-love is also the centerpiece of the conversation Rapsody and I had about the new album and the positive growth she’s experienced since we last spoke. The album had been in the works since then, but Rapsody withheld it all this time to ensure that it would be perfect – or at least, as close to that ideal as any art can ever get. The time was well spent; while a prototype version of this project could have been a top release in anyone else’s catalog, the four years Rap spent tweaking the sound and evolving as a person resulted in an album that stands alongside all-time classics like The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill and Mac Miller’s Swimming, albums that have also sparked the sort of emotional reaction and introspection Please Don’t Cry does.

Please Don’t Cry, what a title.

That’s what it is, you should. You should allow yourself to feel. Whatever that feeling is — and it may not be sad — allow yourself to be human. That’s the core and the root of what that statement means. It’s ironic because no, but please do. Laugh when you cry. Laugh when you’re in love so much, your eyes drool. Rinse your soul of the pain. Don’t hold it. Release it so you can feel lighter.

And I did a lot of releasing in that way, during my healing. I cried a lot. I allowed myself to feel a lot. I got angry a lot. I allowed myself to feel all the things, but I also found my joy again. And that’s why the title meant so much to me. I was on Pinterest and I found the title within a quote, and it said, “No, please don’t cry. You won’t always feel so broken.” And that’s what it is. It’s all temporary. It doesn’t last forever. But the grace is, allow yourself to feel it, but don’t sit in it. That’s all.

Interestingly enough, this was one of those albums that brought me to the point of tears. Most recently, Tierra Whack’s “Two Night” did that for me; before that, it was Rexx Life Raj. What are the albums in hip-hop that have done that for you?

Definitely, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill — “Tell Him” [and] “Zion.” Mac Miller’s “2009.” The whole album because of his situation, but particularly, “2009” brings it out. Jay-Z’s “Lost Ones.” Ghostface [Killah], “2nd Childhood.” I want to throw [Erykah] Badu in there because she’s hip-hop to me, so “Time’s A Wastin.” I know it’s not rap. It’s not rapping, it’s hip-hop.

Tell me about working with Erykah on “3:AM.”

I knew, in the beginning, I didn’t want to have a lot of rap verses because it was so personal. I wanted to have a lot of singers on it to evoke that emotion in what soul music does, and I can’t sing. So every song, I would do the song first, and we would sit and really live with the record and say, “Whose instrument, as far as voice, do we hear to complete the story and what we’re trying to say?” So Badu was the first name that came to mind. I listened to it, and that’s who I heard. And I’m thankful that she was so graceful and said, “Yes.”

We worked on “3:AM” for about 10 months. And I appreciated the process of watching how she crafts her records, and that’s how I grew in that way.

Why did you want to use this group of people, especially Baby Tate, who was one of Uproxx’s first cover artists?

I love Baby Tate as a rapper, but even more as a singer. But I originally wanted “A Ballad For Homegirls” to feel like a conversation amongst several women. I told her how much I appreciate her singing voice, and I just thought it would be dope. But I love that she gave us a little rap and a little singing. She’s so gifted and talented. She knocked it out the park.

Lil Wayne, I’ve been wanting to work with Wayne. I’ve been listening to him since I was 13. So he’s been on my list for a very, very long time, but I’ve never ever sent him a record because I’ve never had one. I never want to force it. So when we did, “Raw,” it felt good. And I was like, “I know he would kill it. I would love to hear his perspective on this particular topic. He’s who I hear.”

“Whose tone fits it? Whose frequency?” That was how I approached this cast. Badu taught me how to slow down.

I don’t want to bring up beef while we’re talking about love, but we’re in this place where the narrative of always seems to be, “He’s got 24 hours to respond.” Everything is very right now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now. And you’re like, “Mmm, let me wait. Let me chill.” Why was now the perfect time for this album?

I first started this project in March of 2020. And the first weekend I started, me and Eric G did 12 songs in two days. And I told him, I said, “We only need three more records, and we’re done.” I remember going to 9th Wonder and playing it for him at that time, and he was like, “This is your best work. It’s heavy. It’s really heavy, but your best work.” And I went back, and it was good, but I said, “I don’t know if I want a record so heavy, that is good, but people don’t want to revisit it because all it is heavy.”

So, I just kept recording. And it’s the best thing that I did because I got to really go through the healing process and not just start it, do some songs, and this is it. No, go through the whole process of healing. And I learned so much more about myself, why I do the things I do. I got to reintroduce myself to me. And I just started pouring out, pouring out, pouring out. Having a conversation with friends, they were like, “Just show everything about you; the good, the bad, the ugly, the emotional, the anger.” And so that’s what I did.

I poured out until I was like, “I’ve covered everything. I’ve covered everything.” Sometimes, four or five times over again on different beats, right. And I said, “I have nothing else to say.” And then it was about getting the right records and telling the story.

Speaking of that pouring out, when you’ve done that, what comes after that? Because now, it feels like you’ve raised the bar so high. How do you top yourself?

I really think, for the most part, projects are somewhat a snapshot of your life and where you are. So right now, I’m just kind of living. I’ve started to live by this Andy Warhol quote, which says, in a nutshell, “Just do the art. Put it out and let the people decide if it’s good or bad. And while they’re deciding, you’re onto the next thing.” My goal with every project I’ve done is to grow in some way. One might be like, “Get your cadence.” One might be, “Get your voice and inflection right.” This one was to be vulnerable, fearless, to have a deeper connection with people. I have three or four ideas of albums I want to do.

I started 2020, working on three. So I have so many ideas in my head. If I could drop four in a year, I’d be like, “Yes.” There’s so much more of me that I want to tell and give. So it’ll come together the same way this one came together. I just got to let it happen and see where I’m guided.

Please Don’t Cry is out now via We Each Other/Jamla Records/Roc Nation/Universal Music Group. Find more information here.

Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The “over or under” question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a “correct” way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

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First, let’s be clear about what we’re even talking about here with a visual. In the image below, left is “over” and right is “under.”

So which one is the right way? According to health experts, “over” is the way to go.

“One key to maintaining a hygienic washroom is minimising contact between people and surfaces,” Dr. Christian Moro, associate professor of health sciences and medicine at Bond University on Australia’s Gold Coast, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “Depending on the type of roll holder, [hanging the toilet paper “over”] often lowers the chance that a user will touch the wall behind when fishing for paper, leaving germs behind on that surface which can be spread to the next user.”

Picture it: Grabbing the end of the toilet paper when it’s hung “over” means you only touch the part of the toilet paper you’re going to use. When it’s “under,” you sometimes have to fish for it or scrape your fingers on the wall in order to grab the loose end. In addition to whatever might be on people’s hands already, think about all the people who wipe twice, potentially transferring fresh fecal matter or other bacteria to the wall on the second pass, which then get picked up by other people who inadvertently touch that wall when trying to grab their TP.

Theoretically, we all should have become better hand washers during the pandemic, scrubbing with soap for the full 20 seconds it takes to remove bacteria. But I wouldn’t be willing to bet on it.

And touching any surface in a bathroom is pretty nasty, according to a study from the University of Colorado. As Inc. reported: “Using a high-tech genetic sequencing tool, researchers identified 19 groups of bacteria on the doors, floors, faucet handles, soap dispensers, and toilets of 12 public restrooms in Colorado — six men’s restrooms and six women’s restrooms. Many of the bacteria strains identified could be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces.”

Bacteria means things like e.coli, which is a common source of food poisoning and one of the most common bacteria found on bathroom surfaces in the study. If you’ve ever had a bout of food poisoning, I’m sure you’ll agree that a toilet paper roll hanging preference isn’t worth risking it.

But sanitary health concerns aren’t the only argument for the “over” camp. After all, the original patent for the toilet paper roll, issued in 1891, clearly shows the TP in the “over” position. Thank you for the clarity right from the get go, Mr. Wheeler.

Now, before the “under” folks come running with their pitchforks, there are some understandable exceptions to the “over” rule. Namely: cats and kids.

If you have a furry friend or a tiny toddler who likes to unroll the toilet paper roll, “over” makes it super fun for them, while “under” stops them in their tracks. For many people, cats and kids are the primary motivator of their TP hanging habits.

That doesn’t change the fact that “over” is actually the “correct” way to hang toilet paper according to health science and the inventor’s intention, of course, but “under” is certainly preferable to having a pile of TP on the floor.

Now go forth, do that with information as you will, and try to make peace with your over vs. under rivals.

This article originally appeared on 3.13.24

Robbie Pierce, his husband, Neal Broverman and their two young children were traveling on an Amtrak train in California in 2022 when they were harassed by a fellow passenger at a stop in San Jose.

Broverman is the editorial director for print media at Pride, The Advocate’s parent company,

“All of a sudden, there was a man standing there next to me,” Pierce told The Advocate. The man told their son, “Remember what I told you earlier. They stole you and they’re pedophiles,” Pierce recounts. The man also said that gay people are abominations.

The police were called and the man was thrown off the train, but the incident was a frightening reminder that gay families could be the target of bigots, even in liberal Northern California. “It’s a new level of homophobia out there,” Pierce added.

Seven months later, Pierce’s son was the victim of harassment, this time from a child at a park. “A random unattended 7-year-old at the park told me and my son that gay people are the devil,” he recounted in a viral X thread. “My son scoffed, but the boy said it was true because God said so.”

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Pierce reacted to the boy’s hatred — which he probably learned at home — with his own lesson. “I told him parents made up God to make their Kids do what they want. His eyes got so big,” he wrote on X.

A random unattended 7yo at the park told me and my son that gay people are the devil and are going to hell. My son scoffed, but the boy said it was true because God said so. I told him parents made up God to make their kids do what they want. His eyes got so big.

— 🤐 (@Robbiepierce) September 29, 2022

Addressing complex issues like religion and sexuality with a young child, who’s a stranger, is a tricky needle to thread, so Pierce admits he had some reservations about his response. But he stands by his decision.

“I’m sorry but if you teach your kids to hate I’m going to teach them to disobey you,” he wrote on X.

I’m sorry but if you teach your kids to hate I’m going to teach them to disobey you.

— 🤐 (@Robbiepierce) September 29, 2022

As someone who has been harassed by religious, homophobic people in the past, Pierce took the opportunity to help steer a young child away from hatred. At the age of 7, most children believe whatever their parents tell them. However, Pierce planted a seed in the child’s mind that may one day encourage him to challenge his indoctrination when he gets older.

The vast majority of commenters on X agreed with Pierce’s response to the child’s comment.

But what Robbie said wasn’t exactly wrong? And if you’re going to hell anyway, why not say it lol.

— Sir David Lee 😁 (@davidleedesign) September 30, 2022

It’s honestly probably the best thing Robbie could have said for the well being of the kid.

— Alexander the Mediocre (@sunflahr) September 29, 2022

Good on you Robbie!
I can’t stop laughing when I think of the conversation that kid is going to have at bedtime tonight.

— Miggie (@Miggie07758273) September 30, 2022

Children do not belong to their parents. He is his own person, and so are you. He interacted with a stranger, and you weren’t mean to him, you just showed him that there’s more to the world than what his parents tell him.

You did nothing wrong.

— I’m so Dane (@Nikolaj777) September 30, 2022

pic.twitter.com/TmGwohZERg

— TCastillo✊🏾✊🏿 (@lombcast) September 29, 2022

However, some people thought Pierce’s response to the child was inappropriate.

maybe because the conversation was with a 7yo child? Are we going to victimize ourselves to THAT degree?

This wasn’t an admirable way to handle this situation.

My personal beliefs don’t have anything to do with it. I believe God is Love and I love all the gays. I love children.

— PoplarTree (@PoplarTree20) September 30, 2022

That was quite wrong of you to do to a kid.
You had a chance to enlighten a child. You could have told him that gay people are just like everyone else and should be respected. Instead you threw his mind into darkness and chaos. You made a bad situation worse.

— The Ghost of CJ. (@CarlaJM) September 30, 2022

I’ll take: you are telling the truth and you took the time to own a seven year old kid to make yourself feel better. Very big of you. Or. You are making things up again. Either way, probably not something to hold as a moment of righteousness. Be better.

— Jett Breffery (@emolawncare) September 30, 2022

No matter how one feels about Pierce’s reaction, what’s clear is that there is something very inappropriate about a 7-year-old child openly harassing LGBTQ families. The unfortunate problem is that this type of hyper-religious upbringing can cause lasting emotional and psychological trauma to a child. And it’s a common problem. A recent study in the growing field of religious trauma found that 1 in 3 Americans suffer from trauma related to religion at some point in their life.

While we might be quick to dismiss the child’s behavior as innocent or simply as a symptom of growing up in a religious household, the more we learn about religious trauma, the more these children appear to be the victims of abuse.

A video posted to TikTok by lifestyle content creator Hunter shows both men and women entering the office for work—and there’s one stark difference between the two that has people chuckling.

The clip begins with four women, all of whom enter with at least two bags, plus multiple beverage cups. Honestly, it’s a marvel any of them manage to swipe their key card and open the door with hands that full.

Then their male co-workers enter, and it’s a completely different story.

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All three of the male employees enter with absolutely nothing in their hands. No bags. Not bottles. No coffee cups. Zip. Nadda.

“I will never understand how guys can show up with nothing in their hands,” Hunter wrote in her video’s caption.

@hd33333 I will never understand how guys can show up with nothing in their hands😂 #work #officelife #fyp #foryoupage❤️❤️ #fypage #showinguptoworklike #guysvsgirls ♬ Funny – Gold-Tiger

Look, there are a few obvious factors at play here.

Women are far more likely to spruce up their appearance during bathroom breaks, hence the need for a bag that carries makeup. Plus, they need a bag for any time-of-the-month needs. If they have a workout scheduled later, they probably are taking a gym bag rather than wearing workout clothes all day.

And let’s not get started on how their regular women’s clothes likely offer no pockets to tuck away any of these items. So all in all, it makes sense that they would need to carry more stuff. You could even pose a theory about it relating to a natural inclination to gather and forage, but maybe that’s a stretch.

Psychology musings aside, viewers found themselves relating to the video, and chimed in with their own views on packing for the office.

One woman quipped, “I work from home, and this is still how I arrive,” while others stood by their pack-for-everything stance.

“Ladies are moving in for the day. We have needs and we don’t really know what they will be so we plan for all things,” another added.

We are prepared and it’s why we live longer,” a third said.

Several women also justified the need for multiple beverages throughout the day. One wrote, “People make fun of me but I need a caffeinated drink, a hydration drink and a fun drink! What’s so hard to understand?” referring to the popular “three drink theory” that supposedly helps with productivity.

Meanwhile, men shared a much simpler point of view.

“Phone. Wallet. Keys. Done,” one commented.

Another joked, “I don’t bring this much stuff on vacation.”

Sometimes it’s fun to have a good laugh at all the quirks that make us different. And I think we can all agree that regardless of gender differences, we’re all just trying to make a work day as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Former President Jimmy Carter, 99, is known for being a man of tremendous character who rose from a humble Georgia peanut farmer to president of the United States. He was elected in 1976 when America was reeling from the Watergate scandal and turned its eyes to an outsider with integrity.

Carter, a Democrat, served as president from 1977 to 1981, when Republican Ronald Reagan defeated him. After his presidency, he dedicated his life to public service, exemplified by his humanitarian work through the Carter Center, which focused on global health, democracy and human rights.

On Tuesday, March 14, Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, announced that the former president was “coming to the end” of his life in a statement made at the Carter Center. The 39th president has been under hospice care since February 2023 and in November, he lost his wife, Rosalynn, at the age of 96.

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“(My grandfather) is doing OK,” Jason Carter said at a mental health forum at the Carter Center. “He has been in hospice, as you know, for almost a year and a half now, and he really is, I think, coming to the end that, as I’ve said before, there’s a part of this faith journey that is so important to him, and there’s a part of that faith journey that you only can live at the very end and I think he has been there in that space.”

Former president Jimmy Carter
byu/Justin_Godfrey inpics

News of Carter’s decline inspired people on Reddit to share a photo of him taken at his wife’s funeral at Maranatha Baptist Church, on November 29, 2023, in Plains, Georgia. In the photo, the once vibrant man is seen in a wheelchair, looking frail and wearing a suit.

Even though the photo of Carter isn’t flattering, it’s a testament to his stamina that propelled him to serve his community and the world until deep into his 90s. Commenters used the post as an opportunity to lavish their praise on a man who’s often referred to as the greatest ex-president one of the most decent men to ever hold the office.

“Interesting fact: Jimmy Carter has been alive through 40% of the whole US history” — Dacadey

“I love that he built homes for habitat for humanity until he literally couldn’t lift a hammer.” — Chester7833

“A true life of service.” — Faux Real

One commenter noted one of Carter’s greatest achievements was working to eradicate Guinea worm. “His work with the eradication of the guinea worm saves countless lives from unnecessary pain and scarring. And he never asked any recognition for it,” Press465 wrote.

Forty years ago, 3.5 million cases of Guinea worm were reported annually, but thanks to the work of Carter’s team, there were only 13 in 2022. The disease, caused by parasitic worms that can grow up to 3 feet, causes severe skin lesions, debilitating those infected and causing extensive absences from school or work. By establishing educational programs on the risks of infection, primarily spread through contaminated water, Carter’s team helped its eradication in several countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“I came to the conclusion a while ago that he’s the one president at least in ‘modern’ times that was too good of a person for the office.” — RevengencerAlf

“I find it amazing that when he was beaten for a second term, people were putting down the solar panels he had, putting him down as ineffective (although he did get hostages back) and so on. And today’s voters see him as fantastic. He did everything he was supposed to – put his peanut company in a trust (?) So he had no control of it, chose to negotiate, was forward thinking with technology (solar panels), and he by far has had the best after-presidency career with Habitat for Humanity. He’s just a good, honest guy who has done his best to give back and I find that to be truly remarkable.” — Estrogen

Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, and Kamilla Cardoso headline a potentially trajectory-altering rookie class for the WNBA, and the 2024 season tipped off this week. Reese’s debut with the Chicago Sky came against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday night, May 15, and her magnetism was already apparent.

Latto sat courtside. When asked what brought her to the Sky and Wings’ season-opener, Latto plainly stated, “Angel Reese.” The multi-platinum rapper was also asked for her thoughts on the unprecedented attention surrounding the WNBA. “It’s the year of the woman, it’s the year of the female, it’s the year of the girl,” Latto said. “I’m here for the girl power, period. Let’s go, Angel Reese.”

Latto posted part of the clip on X (formerly Twitter), and Reese reposted it along with the message, “DUHHH!! THE BIGGEST [lips emoji]”

Roughly one year ago, Reese was fresh off capturing the first NCAA Division I basketball national championship in LSU history when she appeared in the video for Latto and Cardi B’s “Put It On Da Floor Again.” Reese also co-starred alongside Flau’jae Johnson, her now-former LSU teammate, in NLE Choppa’s “Champions” video.

Last month, Chicago drafted Reese at No. 7 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The 22-year-old star forward posted 12 points, eight rebounds, one assist, and one steal in her W debut, a 87-79 loss to Dallas. The Sky will remain in Dallas to play the Wings again on Saturday, May 18.

Nothing is really “free” in life. Sure, there might be free trials or free samples, but you end up paying for it one way or another when karma comes back around. So when a hot dog chain promises a free meet and greet with your child’s favorite animated dog, you really can’t expect much, though people sure did.

Dirt Dog, a regional hot dog chain on the west coast, held a Bluey-themed event over the weekend that promised face painting, games, and treats based on the insanely popular pup and her family. Only that is not what they were given.

The Facebook event quickly went viral with thousands of Bluey fans responding to the event. Unfortunately, there was no cute pup, but a Dirt Dog employee wearing a Bluey onesie with his face uncovered. As one mortified child put it: “He looked, like, unexpected. We could see his beard.”

Parents were upset, flooding to Facebook to express their disappointment with the event. “The kids were distraught. Some kids were crying. Some kids were upset, crying in their parents’ shoulders,” mother Stephanie Hernandez told Fox 5. “How could you do that to little kids: advertise something so fun and eventful for kids ranging from toddlers to six, seven years old, and not actually follow through with it? It was a very upsetting moment to see so many kids, especially my daughter, just really upset,” she said.

Many are comparing this unfortunate fumble with the infamous Wonka “experience” fiasco of March 2024, which will go down in the history books.

While thousands responded to Dirt Dog’s Facebook event, the restaurant didn’t think that many people would show up. “We expected like maybe 50 to 60 people–not in the sense of like the whole city coming out. Just now knowing who Bluey is, we would have planned ahead and would have had security,” Taj Wilder, a spokesperson for marketing for the restaurant, told the local news.

The restaurant released a statement on their social media, apologizing for the confusion. “We are truly sorry this event wasn’t the expected experience,” the statement read. “We were overwhelmed with the turn out to this event.”

The moral of this story? Never underestimate the power of Bluey again.

(Via SF Gate)

Over 35 seasons of The Simpsons, we’ve learned about Comic Book Guy. His real name is Jeff Albertson; he’s married to Kumiko; and he can’t resist a 100 tacos for 100 dollars deal, especially if there’s a Doctor Who marathon on. We also might have finally learned who the “real” Comic Book Guy is.

In the latest episode of the excellent Talking Simpsons podcast hosted by Bob Mackey and Henry Gilbert, guest Eva Anderson claimed that the character is based on a man named John Brian King.

“I met him a few times and he worked at a book store,” she said. “He has a website and stuff, but he was the one who was eating fried clams when the Simpsons writers came over to the store.” This checks out with previous comments made by Simpsons writer George Meyer, who said back in 2000 that the the character was inspired by an employee at the Amok bookstore in Los Angeles who was “sitting on the high stool, kind of lording over the store with that supercilious attitude and eating behind the counter a big Styrofoam container full of fried clams with a lot of tarter sauce.”

Anderson, a writer for Comedy Bang! Bang!, You’re the Worst, and WeCrashed (and a podcast favorite on Doughboys and Podcast: The Ride), called the “real” Comic Book Guy a “very funny, sarcastic guy. He’s also a title designer. He did the titles for [the Paul Thomas Anderson movie] Punch Drunk Love.” She met him “when I was in my early 20s. I was a receptionist for his wife, who was a famous music supervisor… But we all went to dinner together. When you meet this guy, there’s no question that he’s the entire Comic Book Guy model.”

Hopefully minus the loneliness and cheeseburgers.

You can listen to Talking Simpsons below (the Comic Book Guy talk begins around the 2:02:55 mark, although you should listen to the full thing since the episode they’re covering is the all-timer “Last Exit to Springfield”).

Cardi B is a human being — a multi-diamond-certified human being, but a human being, nonetheless. Cardi B simply wishes BardiGang, her most fervent fans, and the general population at large would remember that when questioning why it has taken six years and counting for the Bronx-bred rapper to deliver her sophomore studio album, the long-awaited follow-up to her record-obliterating debut Invasion Of Privacy.

“Like yesterday, I was scrolling through TikTok and a b*tch made me cry,” Cardi B told Rolling Stone as the cover star for its June 2024 issue. “She was just like, ‘She has got to give it up. She’s better off being an influencer. You was cosplaying being a rapper. Because you don’t take it seriously. That’s why you don’t put out your music.’ And it’s like, I take my music so f*cking seriously that that’s why I don’t put it out. Because if it’s not perfect to my ear, if every f*cking word doesn’t sound like it’s pronounced right, if the beat is overpowering the words or the words is overpowering the beat, I don’t want to put it out.”

She added, “When you give so much and somebody just drags it down, like you’re just playing with your p*ssy all day, just watching Netflix all f*cking day long, it’s very hurtful.”

Elsewhere in the Mankaprr Conteh-written profile, an unnamed Cardi B rep confirmed that “an album in 2024 is still the plan,” and much of the story is dedicated to observing Cardi B hard at work in the studio — tormented over getting it right because she cares so deeply.

The tear-inducing TikTok is referenced again toward the end, when Cardi B showed Conteh an offer to perform a show for $1.5 million.

“If I was doing things for money, I would put out music every month because nothing pays me more than shows,” Cardi said. “I’m turning down these concerts because I don’t got no new music.”

So far in 2024, Cardi B has released “Like What (Freestyle)” and “Enough (Miami).”

The most anticipated sports video game release of the last decade is rapdily approaching, as EA Sports College Football 25 will revive the old NCAA Football franchise after more than 10 years away. After rumblings of a July release for the past few months, EA Sports confirmed a July 19 release date for the franchise and released the covers for the game.

The reason the game is finally back is that EA Sports is now able to pay the players — something they’ve always been willing to do, but were not been able to until recently as the NCAA enacted NIL policies. Because the active players are signed on to a licensing deal, the cover no longer has to be a former college football player. Last week, the PlayStation Store spoiled the cover release for the Deluxe Edition of the game, and while we all knew it was likely to feature active players, it still was somewhat jarring to see a college football game with current college football players on the cover.

On Thursday, EA Sports officially unveiled the two covers for the game, with the Deluxe Edition we already saw and the Standard Edition, which features a trio of current stars: Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Michigan running back Donovan Edwards, and Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.

The three cover stars provided brief thoughts in a release about their excitement to be on the cover of the game as college football finally returns to the video game landscape.

“EA SPORTS games are legendary and to see myself on the cover of College Football 25 is truly surreal,” said Edwards. “It’s a huge honor to join past Michigan greats as a cover athlete on an EA SPORTS college football game and keep the tradition going.”

“To represent the burnt orange on the real and virtual gridirons is such an honor. EA SPORTS games were the first place I lived out my childhood dream of playing for the Longhorns, so it’s a full-circle moment to now be on the cover of College Football 25,” said Ewers.

“I couldn’t be more pumped to be part of College Football 25 and represent my Buffaloes on the cover of a game with so much excitement behind it,” said Hunter. “I can’t wait to play and see myself, my teammates and my school in the game.”

More details about the game will be coming this week and later this month, but the Standard and Deluxe editions are available for pre-order, while EA Sports will also offer an MVP Bundle, which will get fans the Deluxe editions of College Football 25 and Madden 25, with 3-day early access to both games.