Year: 2024

Just a day after a security guard was shot near Drake’s Toronto home, police detained an intruder during an attempted break-in, according to Complex. The would-be intruder was taken to get medical assistance, per a statement from Toronto Police Service to Complex. “Officers were called after a person attempted to gain access to the property,” it read. “The person was apprehended under the mental health act and taken to get medical assistance.”

Meanwhile, just a day ago (May 7), police were called to Drake’s residence following reports of a shooting, with one man taken to the hospital with serious injuries. A later report from CBC noted, “Early details from the initial call suggest the victim was a security guard at the home who appears to have been shot in a drive-by attack.” The security guard was wounded in the chest and taken to a nearby hospital for surgery.

Some fans have noted that the incident followed a contentious rap battle between Drake and fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar. On Sunday (May 4), Kendrick had released a diss track titled “Not Like Us” paired with an aerial photo of Drake’s Toronto home. While there’s no evidence that the shooting or the home invasion are connected to the feud, their proximity to the release of the song — and another, “Meet The Grahams,” in which Kendrick rhymes “I think n****s like [Drake] should die” — will undoubtedly fuel theories of a connection online.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Drake has had to deal with intruders. In 2022, he filed a restraining order against a woman who had previously broken into his home in Los Angeles and sent him threatening emails.

Both Camila Cabello and Lil Nas X are experiencing career Renaissances, of sorts, so it makes sense that they would team up in the midst of all this rebirth to drop an unexpected, but not wholly unsurprising, collaboration on their fans. “He Knows” is due on Friday, May 10, and promises to put to be an upbeat, witty single, judging by the presumed lyrics that Cabello shared in her social media announcement: “She’s a provocateur, dancefloor connoisseur,” she wrote.

“He Knows” is Cabello’s second single of the year — and second to employ a genre-bending rapper — after the Playboi Carti-featuring “I Luv It.” The two singles in rapid succession precede Camila’s upcoming album C, XOXO, which will be the former girl group member’s first new collection of music in over two years. Her last album was 2022’s Familia. C, XOXO is slated for release on June 28 via Geffen and Interscope (her first under the new label partnership after leaving Epic in late 2022.

Lil Nas X, meanwhile, has been slowly releasing his mixtape Nasarati 2 on SoundCloud, with four tracks out so far. He also recently teamed up with Kevin Abstract for their long-awaited collaboration, “Tennessee.”

Camila Cabello and Lil Nas X’s “He Knows” is due on 5/10. You can get more info here.

Instagram‘s Community Guidelines expressly ban nudity, other than “photos of post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding.” Nude bodies in paintings and sculptures is acceptable, as well. Model and author Emily Ratajkowski has come close to breaking Instagram’s prudish rules many times — including in a set of photos taken after the Met Gala earlier this week.

Ratajkowski appeared at the gala wearing a “see-through, sparkly, and backless” long-sleeved Versace dress, according to Cosmopolitan, before changing into another barely-there attire for the after-party.

[She] shared some gorgeous photos from the transition on Instagram. And, of course, that involved taking some topless snaps while wrapped in a robe and drinking a dirty martini.

You can see the photos for yourself here.

Back in 2023, Ratajkowski talked to The Verge about the body-shaming harassment she’s faced on Instagram. “I don’t think there’s any real way around it. I definitely think that the IRL version is just so different. The things that people say online, no one, even the nastiest person in fashion, would say in real life,” she said. “It’s what everyone talks about, you’re hiding behind your screen, you think you’re anonymous.”

Ratajkowski has “never been able to relate or empathize with people” who leave nasty or vulgar comments on social media. “And it must be satisfying in some way because so many people partake in it — it’s really sad. It says something bad about people’s mental health and where we are as a culture.”

(Via Cosmopolitan)

Although Gunna’s last album, A Gift & A Curse, firmly reestablished his position in hip-hop as one of its foremost hitmakers, it was also his first album with no guest stars. Whether that was Gunna’s choice or not, it certainly lent credence to the speculation that he was persona non grata in the rap world as a result of taking an Alford plea to secure his release from jail.

However, his new album, One Of Wun, might just put an end to that speculation, as its tracklist reunites him with two of his most frequent collaborators in Offset and Uproxx cover star Roddy Ricch — who have both been through some rough patches of their own, if we’re being honest. In addition, R&B singers Leon Bridges and Normani will both appear on the album, suggesting that Gunna will be aiming to expand his appeal now that he’s regained firmer footing.

You can see the full tracklist below. One Of Wun is due on May 10 via Young Stoner Life Records / 300 Entertainment.

1. “Collage”
2. “One Of Wun”
3. “Neck On A Yacht”
4. “Whatsapp (Wassam)”
5. “Hakuna Matata”
6. “Prada Dem” Feat. Offset
7. “Treesh”
8. “On One By Tonight”
9. “Back In The A”
10. “Trio”
11. “Still Prevail”
12. “Blackjack”
13. “$$$” Feat. Normani
14. “Clear My Rain” Feat. Leon Bridges
15. “Conscience”
16. “The Time”
17. “Let It Breathe” Feat. Roddy Ricch
18. “Life’s Changing”
19. “Today I Did Good”
20. “Time Reveals, Be Careful What You Wish For”

Sydney Sweeney (along with Glen Powell) achieved a sleeper romcom through sheer marketing genius, and Netflix followed her example. She’s also moved far past her Euphoria role into scream queen status, and Sydney has several projects lined up, including a project that has her repairing with Black Bear, which is looking to internationally sell the project at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and shoot later this year.

This news comes from Deadline, which reports Sydney’s excitement to portray the so-called “Female Rocky,” Christy Martin, the 1990s prizefighter who trained with Don King (as his first female signee). She rose to fame and the status of welterweight champion but dealt with a harrowing private life including spousal abuse, during the course of which her husband, Jim Martin (also her manager), attempted to murder her and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Yikes. Sweeney, for her part, is looking forward to transforming into jacked-boxer form by training:

“I grappled and did kickboxing from 12-19 years old. I’ve been itching to get back into the ring, train, and transform my body. Christy’s story isn’t a light one, it’s physically and emotionally demanding, there’s a lot of weight to carry. But I love challenging myself.

“Christy Martin not only legitimized female boxing, she overcame gender stereotypes, and fought through emotional, physical, and financial abuse. I’m passionate about the fighting world, Christy’s story shines a light on her incredible rise to the top while showing the struggles of fame behind the curtains … It’s powerful, and emotional.”

David Michôd is on board to direct. Sweeney will undoubtedly undergo a grueling physical regimen and a ridiculously high protein diet, but to be fair, she is probably looking forward to interviews that focus on subjects beyond her own looks and allow her to put the pedal to the metal, so to speak.

(Via Deadline)

Former Uproxx cover star Beabadoobee impressed with her 2022 album Beatopia, and now we know what’s next: A new album called This Is How Tomorrow Moves.

Sharing the news on social media today (May 8), Beabadoobee wrote, “my most personal record, made with love from bea , jacob , rick and shangrila studios.” She added that a video for a new song called “Take A Bite” is set to premiere tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Currently, the YouTube page for the “Take A Bite” video features a 15-second teaser for the visual. It shows Beabadoobee standing and smoking a cigarette on a busy street corner, and we get to hear about ten seconds of the new song.

At the moment, we don’t yet have a release date for the album, but Beabadoobee’s post does include what is presumably the album cover art. We’ll likely learn more about the upcoming project tomorrow, though.

The new album follows a run of opening for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour in 2023, about which she previously noted, “I remember telling an interviewer that my dream support was Taylor Swift, and then I got a call from my manager saying she wants you to go on tour with her. I messaged all my girlfriends: ‘Guess f*cking what…’”

With the release of his song “The Heart Part 6” on Sunday, Drake might have finally waved the white flag in his battle with Kendrick Lamar. Now that the dust has seemingly cleared, it looks like a good time to take stock of the damage. Here are six things we learned from the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef.

Nobody Wins When The Family Feuds

Depending on who you ask, the winner of the battle remains a toss-up. Fans are divided by personal loyalties and favorites, of course, but also along lines of regionality, generation, and background. Some fans don’t feel there could be a winner after the battle became increasingly noxious. Whether you believe a rhyme fight should focus on punchlines and metaphors or mean-spirited mudslinging, both rappers went for broke, accusing each other of horrible crimes against women and children (going for the ol’ catch-22 loaded question, “Have you stopped beating your wife?“). Fans ascribed all sorts of symbolism to the battle — the future of the culture, philosophy of hip-hop, etc. — but ultimately, it all just came down to two guys who don’t like each other (despite having spent very little time together, to the best of my ability to ascertain) and put their problems on front street.

Drake’s Popularity With Fans Has Waned

For the past 15 years, one thing that could be relied on is that Drake would be the biggest thing in hip-hop anytime he dropped. Every one of his eight studio albums has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. He’s had thirteen No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, all but one of them coming in the last six years. Fans still anticipate every release like kids do Christmas morning, and let’s just say if Kendrick Lamar had spent the past four weeks dropping bombs on just about any other rapper, the press coverage would probably have gone from “breathlessly recounting every move” to “middle of the local news section in an indie weekly” levels in comparison.

But one thing the response to the war of words showed was just how much resentment against Drake has been simmering just under the surface. He’s always had his fair share of haters — people for whom hip-hop has always stemmed from a place of animosity and struggle, however ahistorical that outlook may be. But over the past few years, he’s alienated a great many more who’ve grown tired of his maudlin, paranoid subject matter, his faux-gangster posturing, and his insidiously misogynistic view of women (more on that later). Most of the interest in the battle had little to do with proving which rapper was the best — people just wanted to see Drake lose.

Kendrick Hates Not Only Drake But Also Drake’s Whole Family

I’m not sure when exactly being a hater went from a vice to a virtue — consider it a function of the goalpost moving many fans were willing to do to ensure a Drake loss. But if “hating” was an Olympic sport, K. Dot would be its Michael Phelps after spending no less than 20 minutes across four tracks detailing all the ways he dislikes Drake, Drake’s dad, Drake’s friends, Toronto, Canada, Nickelodeon, and anything else he deemed responsible for his rival’s rise to stardom.

Calling Drake a “horrible f*cking person” is by far the most direct attack on his character, but turning mean-spirited social media gossip fodder into outright accusations of literal crimes is … a lot (especially for someone who has been determinedly vague about whether or not he actually killed another human being). There had long been rumors of friction between the two but no one had any idea just how deep it went until Kendrick rhymed “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress.”

Drake May Have Leaks In His Camp

Part of how methodically Kendrick picked his opponent apart stemmed from his assertion that he had moles in OVO feeding him information. Drake himself both denied and took credit for the leaks in “The Heart Part 6,” claiming that he’d seeded false information knowing Kendrick would pounce on it in his haste to find dirt to throw on Drake’s name.

But Drake should still find it concerning that anyone would be so invested in his downfall they’d sell him out — especially after the way Pusha T dug up the info concerning his son, Adonis. While cooler heads might attribute both rappers’ angles to them just being predictable as people — the jokes about jazz raps and Drake’s friendship with former child star Millie Bobbie Brown have been floating around on social media for years now — Drake’s “no new friends” policy probably hasn’t yielded all the results he’s hoped.

Kendrick Has Been Sitting On Entirely Too Many Fire Beats

The part of all this I found personally infuriating was learning just how much heat Kendrick has in his vault, especially after the navel-gazing disappointment that was Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Say what you want about having grand artistic vision, but we’ve had enough high concept albums that still had bangers on them that we should be holding Kendrick accountable for having had a Mustard-produced C-walk anthem on his hands and wasting it on something as petty as rap beef.

He also threw away a perfectly good Alchemist album on this nonsense. After getting a half-dozen incredible Alchemist-produced projects since 2020 (with such luminaries as Curren$y, Earl Sweatshirt, Freddie Gibbs, and Larry June), the idea that we could have had a Kendrick album produced by Al should be borderline unconscionable for all the so-called “real hip-hop heads” crowing about a battle. Bring that man up at The Hague and force him to put out all the material he has right now on the threat of life imprisonment. I’m only barely joking.

Beef Is Fun, But Not Necessarily Good For Hip-Hop

This may be controversial, but considering Questlove (who has forgotten more about hip-hop in the time it took me to write this feature than most of us will ever learn in a lifetime) thinks this too, I’m okay with whatever comes. I don’t think people who say that beef is “good for hip-hop” have ever considered what is or isn’t good for hip-hop. They’re just repeating a talking point, like “lower the rims” or “build the wall.”

The fact is, according to Audiomack co-founder Brian Zisook, “Multiple releases previously scheduled for next Friday, May 10, have already been delayed.” He further pointed out how the battle overshadowed releases from the likes of both rising stars like Chris Patrick and Foggieraw and underground veterans like NxWorries and Saba. How is that good for hip-hop? I joked that Detroit rapper Bfb Da Packman was just scamming with his much-touted Drake collab, but if Drake really did pull his feature — a feature that could have made Packman’s career — how does that help hip-hop?

Did the battle establish a new top dog in rap? It didn’t seem like that was even the goal after the initial jabs taken on “Like That” and “Push Ups.” Instead, both rappers seemed more intent on proving who was the bigger scumbag. Rap’s long-documented history of misogyny and homophobia reared its head yet again as they both used women as props, neglecting to acknowledge them as people, and used the very possibility of being gay as a weapon. This is good for hip-hop?

The recent shooting at Drake’s Toronto mansion may have nothing to do with the beef — but what if it did? I’m old enough and have been loving hip-hop long enough that I remember the slew of interviews from rap radio luminaries expressing their regrets at hyping up the beef between Biggie and Pac after both had been slain. Their deaths also may not have stemmed from their feud, but they let that feud define and consume the final year of Tupac’s career. B.I.G. went to his grave regretting losing a friend and that the last words they’d exchanged were hateful.

Competition might well be baked into the fabric of the genre and culture, but that personal vitriol has never been part of hip-hop. Wishing someone would die — which Kendrick straight-up said on “Meet The Grahams” isn’t hip-hop. No rap feud stopped either Jay-Z or Nas from being two of the most respected names in hip-hop to this day. But just imagine if they’d been helping each other the whole time instead of tearing each other down.

Stressed? Of course you are. Luckily for you, and the entire U.S. population, scientists believe they may have identified the most relaxing song in the world.

Music has forever been associated with bringing about relaxation, happiness, and serenity — whether it’s a Gregorian chant or some Enya accompanied by a glass of merlot.

Neuroscientists in the United Kingdom think they have found the one song that relieves stress and soothes our souls more than any other.

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Mindlab International, a market research firm, conducted a study a few years ago in which participants completed difficult (and possibly stressful) puzzles while their brain activity was monitored. To study its effect, music was played while they completed the puzzles.

One song stood out above the rest. “Weightless” by Marconi Union (listen below), an English ambient music band, induced a 65% reduction in stress among participants, according to Inc. And DailyMail.com reported that the song was 11% more effective than most other songs — by such musicians as Adele and Coldplay — in reducing blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing speed.

The 2011 song was created by the band, along with the British Academy of Sound Therapy, to do just that — relax listeners.

If you prefer something with lyrics, try Enya’s “Watermark” or “Pure Shores” by All Saints, which were also proven to be relaxing,

Music therapy is considered to be a natural therapy important in alleviating stress. Because stress is an important cause of other deadly illness, fighting it is key to maintaining good health. Numerous studies have shown how damaging stress can be to our bodies and our brain. So don’t let it get out of control. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the music.

This article originally appeared on 11.03.16

Ever fallen into one of those Internet dating quizzes? You know, the ones that promise to categorize you? Like “what your astrological sign says about your relationship style.”

They can be fun, but we all know they’re mostly fluff.

What if I told you someone did find a way to “categorize” your love style but with actual real science?

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Three relationship scientists asked about 400 couples to track how they felt about their relationship and how committed they felt to marrying their partner. They followed each of the couples for nine months. Not, like, literally followed them — that would be creepy. Instead, they just asked them a few questions and asked them to keep track of how committed they were feeling over time.

At the end of the nine months, the scientists collected all the couple’s responses and delved deep into the data. They found that couples did indeed tend to fall into one of four categories.

Prepare yourself for some soul searching because you might just be:

1. The Conflicted, but Passionate

This is the couple Facebook made the “It’s Complicated” relationship status for. Their levels of commitment tend to go up and down over time, especially after arguments. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. These folks use those conflicts to help them make decisions about the relationship, and in fact, they didn’t appear to be any more destined for a breakup than any of the other groups.

Also, as a bonus, they tend to follow those turbulent downs with passionate ups. “These couples operate in a tension between conflict that pushes them apart and passionate attraction that pulls them back together,” said study author Brian Ogolsky.

2. The Partner-Focused

If your idea of a perfect date night is a long walk followed by eight hours of binge-watching “House of Cards” together, you might fall into this category.

Partner-focused couples tend to spend a lot of time together and share hobbies or leisure activities, and it’s that shared time that tends to propel them forward. They tended to be more careful and thoughtful about their relationship decisions — more likely to build from the inside out — and tended to be the most satisfied overall.

3. The Social Butterflies

On the other hand, if your perfect evening with your partner involves grabbing all your friends and hitting the bars or breaking out Settlers of Catan for the hundredth time, this might be the category that best describes you. Social couples usually share a friend group and use that time spent with friends to inform and build their relationship as a couple.

“Having mutual friends makes people in these couples feel closer and more committed,” said Ogolsky. They also tended to be pretty stable and have higher levels of love based on feelings of friendship toward each other, which can be a good indicator for long-term happiness.

4. The Dramatic

Unfortunately, not every couple’s path is easy. Things may start out good, but tend not to stay that way for dramatic couples. This type of couple tends to make decisions based on negative experiences or stuff from outside the relationship.

“These couples have a lot of ups and downs, and their commitment swings wildly,” said Ogolsky. “You begin to see little things eroding, and you start to see the relationship in a negative light, and soon you give up,” said Ogolsky.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, dramatic couples tended to break up the most, twice as much as other couples.

So what’s best? Well, here’s where this article differs from a lot of those Internet quizzes. Because the answer is that there isn’t a “best” kind of relationship.

Different couples work and grow differently. These are different pathways and it’d be a mistake to assume there’s a “correct” way to love someone. Or even that you’re forever locked into a certain style of relationships. “These are not predefined, for-life patterns,” said Ogolsky.

And even in a single relationship, these patterns aren’t predictors of destiny — a dramatic couple may, in fact, outlast a social one, and a partner-driven couple may be as passionate as anyone you could ever meet.

And the researchers willingly admit in their paper that their study doesn’t cover all relationships. Many very happy couples have no desire to marry, for instance. And, it should be noted, that it wasn’t too long ago that the U.S. didn’t even allow all couples to get married!

Wait, you’re not going to tell me how to find the perfect, golden, eternally-happy relationship?! Why even study this then?

Because, in our hearts, humans are social creatures, Ogolsky explained. Love, friendship, passion, and commitment are part of the human experience. Understanding relationships can be as important to understanding ourselves as studying chemistry or biology. They can even affect your health!

As for what you can learn from all this, the important takeaway is that what you use to make decisions — whether from conflict, from the inside, from the outside, or from friendship — can influence your level of commitment. It might be useful for couples to think not just about their choices but how they make their choices.

So … what’s your category?

This article originally appeared on 02.15.16

There’s a lot of men out there that shy away from discussing menstruation with women. But any man who’s ever taken a class in basic human biology or had a mother, sister, wife, girlfriend or any other woman in their life should know the basics of how it works.

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That’s why a mother on the Mumsnet message board was completely “shocked” that her daughter’s teacher told her to “hold in” her period.

Does he think a woman can hold in her period like it’s pee?

Mumsnet is a UK website where parents come together to discuss anything from adoption to women’s rights. This post appeared under the “Am I Being Unreasonable” thread.

According to the post, the 15-year-old’s teacher prevented her from using the bathroom because he legitimately thinks women can hold back period blood. Or he knows a bit about biology but still decided to put her in the position to be mortally embarrassed.

The mother later said that the lessons last two hours so the girl had a long time to wait before being able to change her pad.

A few parents said that the teacher was correct to say no because students often lie about their periods to get out of class.

But most parents thought the teacher did the wrong thing and needs a lesson in basic biology.

One poster was irate but completely right about the issue.

Another believes the daughter should have disobeyed the teacher and gone to the bathroom.

This poster did a great job at re-framing the situation so that the teacher’s actions seem even more ridiculous.

Why should the mother even have to justify herself?

The $50,000 question: What subject does the instructor teach?

This story originally appeared on 02.13.20