Category: News

Two years ago, Rusev and Aiden English were one of WWE’s most fun and popular acts. Earlier this month, both men were laid off from the company. In an interview with Inside The Ropes, English talked about his WWE career, including why he thinks fans loved Rusev Day so much.

English says that after The Vaudevillains ended and he brought back his Drama King character, he was paired up with Rusev “by pure circumstance.” He was supposed to sing the Bulgarian national anthem at the first Rusev Day segment in which Rusev was given an award from his hometown and attacked by Randy Orton. English explains that “as far as I know” that segment was all Rusev Day was supposed to be, “but we got such a good response in the arena and on social and everything that they were like, ‘Let’s do something next week.’”

The act’s popularity grew and “by Survivor Series two months later, there were people in every building chanting ‘Rusev Day’ and then the rest is literally history. It was so organic, man… People just loved the idea of celebrating something every single day.”

But English says it wasn’t just the idea of a daily holiday that hooked fans:

What I truly, truly believe is what resonated with people as ridiculous as some of that stuff was… at the end of the day, to really, really look at it, here you had this character Rusev who for the longest time was the Bulgarian Brute. He’s the big foreign bad guy. He comes out and beats you up. And it worked. He had a tank entrance for WrestleMania with John Cena. That’s pretty good. But he’s always just been kind of a big, brute-y bad guy. I mean, he is such a fun-loving, goofy, funny dude.

Rusev saw the chance to be himself on WWE TV and took it, and English says he put more of his own personality in the act too. “All those backstages, we pretty much took what they wrote for us and threw it out,” he says. “So I think people saw these two characters who were for a long time kind of in these boxes all of a sudden get a chance to just play and experiment and be themselves… People saw that, and I think that’s what resonated.”

DaBaby tests out the free market in his latest video from Blame It On Baby. Borrowing cues from the colorful lyrics of his song “Can’t Stop,” DaBaby’s latest hilarious video finds him setting up shop with his son to sell overpriced lemonade ($500 a cup) and mix up some chocolate pudding with his daughter. The Charlotte rapper links up again with Reel Goats, who have become his unofficial official videographers, contributing to his videos for “Jump” with Youngboy Never Broke Again, “Find My Way,” and more.

While the fan reaction to his new album was less than enthusiastic, that didn’t stop DaBaby from replacing The Weeknd on the top of the Billboard albums chart after a strong first week thanks to the buzz remaining from DaBaby’s first two albums, Baby On Baby and Kirk, as well as one weird trick that has propelled a whole peck of songs to the top of the Hot 100 chart (which, in turn, helps the album chart higher as well, thanks to streams counting toward equivalent units).

Although DaBaby’s summer of touring was effectively wrecked by the coronavirus outbreak, he’s had a busy year anyway, fighting off lawsuits, helping Lil Yachty make his comeback, and guesting of Future’s “Life Is Good” with Drake.

Watch the “Can’t Stop” video above.

2020 is playing out in ways that no one would have guessed, and few people could have anticipated a major movie-business fight breaking out over Trolls World Tour. That’s the case, however, after Universal Pictures released the children’s film as a $20 on-demand rental, and parents hopped all over that business because pandemic entertainment is no joke. This led to over $100 million rolling in over the course of three weeks (and surely, more to come) for this movie, and that upset the AMC theater chain, which would have preferred for Universal to hang tight until movies could play in theaters again. And so, AMC made the public declaration that they’d no longer screen Universal movies after what it called a “unilateral” decision from the studio.

Following the banning declaration, Universal has now issued a lengthy response that defends the Trolls World Tour decision as the right move and stresses their desire to protect its own employees and provide entertainment to those who are in quarantine:

“Our goal in releasing Trolls: World Tour on PVOD was to deliver entertainment to people who are sheltering at home, while movie theatres and other forms of outside entertainment are unavailable. Based on the enthusiastic response to the film, we believe we made the right move. In fact, given the choice of not releasing Trolls: World Tour, which would not only have prevented consumers from experiencing the movie but also negatively impacted our partners and employees, the decision was clear. Our desire has always been to efficiently deliver entertainment to as wide an audience as possible.”

Universal’s statement reiterated its previous sentiment that they’re planning to release movies both on PVOD (“when that distribution outlet makes sense”) and in theaters, even after outlets reopen across the U.S. The studio added its belief that there’s been a “seemingly coordinated attempt from AMC and NATO” to misinterpret Universal’s actions, and then NATO issued its own statement about Universal’s “reckless charge,” and my gosh, this is getting extremely ugly:

“Without any knowledge of the facts, or the common courtesy to inquire about those facts, Universal nonetheless made the reckless charge this evening that the company is ‘disappointed by this seemingly coordinated attempt from AMC and NATO to confuse our position and our actions.’ Unfortunately Universal has a destructive tendency to both announce decisions affecting their exhibitor partners without actually consulting with those partners, and now of making unfounded accusations without consulting with their partners.”

Regardless of how this all plays out, both Universal and AMC are making bold moves here during an already arduous time for all of humanity, including the movie industry. Upcoming Universal flicks include massive tentpoles like Fast and Furious 9 and Minions: The Rise of Gru, both of which should be massive successes for the studio with their pushed-back 2021 release dates in theaters. In the meantime, Universal decided to experiment, and it’s had the side-effect of making folks wonder if more on-demand new releases might be welcome. Well, Trolls World Tour fans think that it’s a good thing, and this story undoubtedly isn’t over yet, although it’s doubtful that AMC or Universal will benefit if there’s no resolution on this ban business.

(Via Deadline)

Following a string of debut singles released in 2019, rising songwriter Samia returns with her first official release of 2020. Samia showcases her swooning vocals in the heart-tugging track “Is There Something In The Movies?”

Directed by Matthew Hixon and Samia herself, the single’s accompanying video emphasizes the singles theme, which deals with the idealization of film and the celebrities who star in them. For the visual, Samia called upon her actor friend Maya Hawke, who appeared in Stranger Things and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and Charlie Plummer, who starred in Looking For Alaska. The duo act in a fictional film while Samia haunts their set, unsuccessfully attempting to force her influence on the characters.

Speaking about the single in a statement, Samia said she pulls inspiration from the ever-present feeling of disenchantment in the industry: “It’s a song about heartbreak and disenchantment with the entertainment industry. I felt betrayed by someone honoring that fantasy over my love. Glorifying the idea of legacy or life as a means to an end makes me really sad, especially when it comes to people dying young. There’s a line about sleeping with a stuffed pig that Brittany Murphy gave me the day I was born; her death has always felt painfully unnecessary to me and has fueled my resentment towards that whole thing. In the video, Maya and Charlie play ‘Movies’ and I’m just trying to make sense of them.”

Watch Samia’s “Is There Something In The Movies?” video above.

The debate in college sports over allowing athletes to be compensated for the use of their name, image, and likeness took on a more serious shape on Wednesday when the NCAA released a report in support of athletes signing endorsement contracts and being paid for work off the field of play.

According to the report, an athlete’s school cannot be involved in the arrangement of contracts. And while athletes would be able to reference their school affiliation and the sport they play, the NCAA would shut down the use logos or school branding.

Yet as has become typical in this prolonged battle, the report was served with so many qualifiers that it merely sets the stage for further negotiating rather than legitimate promise for athletes.

At the center of the controversy over the NCAA report is the NCAA’s desire to work with Congress on legislation that would grant the governing body jurisdiction over all athlete compensation. The NCAA is using the guise of “antitrust” concerns to push the federal government, and earning new detractors in the process.

“Today is either the day that a wall of injustice around student-athletes started to crumble, or the day the NCAA used more tactics to bait and switch young men and women from some of America’s most vulnerable communities,” U.S. Rep. Mark Walker told ESPN, also noting that antitrust regulations could also allow the NCAA to overreach in other areas of athlete oversight down the road.

Chris Murphy, a United States Senator from Connecticut, was similarly pessimistic in his response.

If the NCAA wants bipartisan support in Congress for governing powers over athletes’ name, image, and likeness compensation, they seemingly have a long way to go to earn it. NCAA president Mark Emmert reiterated the need for federal guidance, while Big East commissioner Val Ackerman said “it’s vitally important that we maintain some level of integrity and fairness.”

For many, the NCAA’s push toward an agreement with athletes will be seen as too little too late. Taking Ackerman at face value is the right thing to do, but integrity and fairness are unlikely to be the first words to be associated with the NCAA by anyone who follows college sports. Surely, there has to be some kind of oversight, but the first draft of a partnership with these young athletes is already looking like a half-measure.

Becoming a rockstar isn’t easy. But keeping the goal in mind while making a song could land you at the top of the charts. A recent survey by Billboard combed through the entirety of their Top Ten Hot 100 chart data to find which title appeared the most times. Since 2000, the most frequently-used title to appear at the top of the charts is “Rockstar.”

For a recent report, Billboard surveyed their decades-spanning chart data to draw similarities between many years of music. Though it’s not the most common song title to ever appear at the top of the charts in Billboard history, several songs using the title “Rockstar” have hovered near the No. 1 slot.

Most recently, DaBaby shared his track “Rockstar” with Roddy Ricch, which debuted at No. 9 on the Hot 100 charts. Before that, Post Malone and 21 Savage’s 2017 track of the same title ruled the Top Ten territory for an impressive eight-week run. Ahead of them, Nickelback’s memorable 2007 hit appeared at No. 6 on the charts. According to the report, no other title has appeared more than twice in the Top Ten since 2000.

While “Rockstar” has been the most popular title after the new millennium, other titles have been popular throughout the decades. Songs with the title “Without You” have appeared five times since 1961, “Angel” four times since the ’80s, and “Lady” four times since 1975. According to the data, the most surefire way to have a song appear in the Top Ten is to boast a concise title.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The second wave psychedelic revolution is in full gear. Psilocybin, acid, and DMT are all in clinical trials for treating depression, PTSD, and other psychological disorders. Meanwhile, the counter-culture is likely to see a re-blossoming of sorts coming out of the coronavirus shutdown. Then there’s the fact that psychedelics (when handled with care) can be a whole lot of fun.

The fun bit is the focus of Netflix’s Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics, debuting May 11th. With cameos from late greats Anthony Bourdain and Carrie Fisher; musicians like A$AP Rocky, Sting, and Ad-Rock; and many of the famous comics you’d expect to appear in something like this, the documentary relies on reenactments, animations, and plenty of star power to explore the topic at hand.

Our review is forthcoming but from these first-look photos alone, it’s clear that the absurdism will be turned to high. Adam Scott starring in an 80s-style morality-panic PSA? Check. Natasha Leggero as Princess Leia-while-tripping-balls? Yep. Adam DeVine as a Fear and Loathing-loving young Bourdain? You’d better believe it. But clearly it’s Nick Kroll covered in seaweed and flotsam that really hints at the tone Have a Good Trip is going for. Even if you don’t turn on and drop out, that seems worth tuning in for.

Towards the end of last year, Kaytranada dropped Bubba, the long-awaited follow-up to his 2016 debut album, the esteemed 99.9%. A highlight of the new album is the tropical-influenced and club-ready “Need It,” and now Kaytranada has shared a video for the Masego-featuring track. The blue-tinted clip appropriately takes place in a club, and a confrontation between two parties turns into fisticuffs, although the “brawl” quickly transforms into a dance-fighting session.

Like many artists, Kaytranada was forced to change his touring plans due to the coronavirus pandemic, which was a big bummer for him. “I was so ready for this tour, damn it man,” he tweeted earlier this month. That’s probably because he was so excited about Bubba, which he sees as a creative evolution for him, as he tweeted shortly after the album’s release, “I’m so damn happy i put out this LP. I was tired of people referring 99.9% constantly. I had all these songs that i’ve been working on in between. I would reply them like ‘thank you but Damn! i cant wait til you hear the new sh*t!’ BUBBA feels more like me.”

Watch the “Need It” video above.

Bubba is out now via RCA. Get it here.

Justin Herbert seemed like a lock to go high in the 2019 NFL Draft. A tall, athletic passer out of Oregon with an arm that can make any throw, Herbert was frequently discussed as a top-5 pick and a potential franchise signal caller for a team with a need at the position.

This is what made it so surprising when Herbert bucked conventional wisdom and opted to return to Eugene for his senior season. Things worked out pretty well for Herbert on the field — the Ducks went 12-2, winning the Pac-12 and the Rose Bowl — and last week, the Los Angeles Chargers used the No. 6 pick to snag Herbert with the hopes that he can turn into the team’s quarterback of the future.

While it happened a year later than most predicted, Herbert’s NFL career is ready to begin. But first, Herbert, Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, and Cardinals do-everything defender Isaiah Simmons picked up their various gaming controllers and played Madden with some fans as part of EA Sports’ Stay and Play initiative over the weekend. Uproxx Sports spoke to Herbert about Madden, getting drafted, how he’s started to prepare for life as an NFL quarterback, and much more.

What do you have going on with Madden?

So this week, I’m excited to team up with EA’s Stay and Play initiative and play some fans in Madden NFL 20, which is free play this weekend to celebrate the NFL Draft. Fans that play the free trial this weekend can also get a special Madden Ultimate Team pack with me. Really looking forward to getting onto this and playing some Madden, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten a chance to play, so looking forward to it.

The initiative is a really cool idea, why’d you wanna be part of it?

I’ve always been a big Madden player, and the chance for me to go play some Madden was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down. Always fired up to be a part of it and wanted to get introduced to the fans and play some football with them as well.

I once asked JuJu Smith-Schuster about this and he told me Madden has helped him get better at reading defenses, especially pre-snap. Have you ever taken anything from Madden and found a way to apply that on the field?

I have not yet but there are so many different defenses, offenses in the game that you do kind of learn stuff from there. Just playing defense, I do get a better feel for the zones that they’re playing or the concepts, so it can be helpful at times.

Let’s talk ball a bit. It’s been a years-long process for you, how does it feel to officially be an NFL player?

I can’t wait. It’s been such a great opportunity, just to go through these past few months of training and working hard, a lot of hard work is paying off. Couldn’t be more thankful for the University of Oregon for all they’ve done for me, my family for sticking there with me, and my teammates.

You famously came back for your senior year. Looking back and considering where you are now, why was that the right move for you?

I knew that coming back was a decision I wanted to make because I wanted to finish the year off with the senior class that we came in with. Those guys, we all came in and we went 4-8 my freshman year, to turn it around and go 12-2 this past year, win a Rose Bowl, meant a lot to us. I wanted to become a better quarterback, better teammate, better leader, better friend, these are all things that I sent out to do and I feel really comfortable sitting here telling you I did those things this year.

Over the last year — the season with Oregon, the draft process, the combine, all these things — what area of your game have you focused on working on the most? Has your focused evolved from one thing to the next as you’ve started getting into this NFL process?

Yeah, I’d say over the past year or so, I’ve been working a lot on footwork and mechanics, especially taking snaps from under center, never having done that before prior to these months of training. I really had to get that in and there’s a lot of mechanics stuff with my throwing motion that I’ve fixed and I’m doing a good job of working on right now, so these are a lot of things that I’m looking forward to working on.

I’m glad you mentioned your footwork, especially under center, because at the combine you told NBC that that’s been your big focus for however long. How’s that coming along and what have you been doing to refine that?

It’s just being comfortable with it. It takes repetition, it takes practice to continue working on it. I’m gonna get better at it, and some small points that I’m looking at are really getting tagged. Take big steps early on and getting out from under center, sometimes those linemen, they move around and I’ve got to get out from underneath them. I think those are some of the things — keeping my head straight, keeping it level, and having a fluid, comfortable drop.

Oregon QBs in recent years are known for how good they are with their legs — Dennis Dixon, Darron Thomas, Marcus Mariota, those sorts of guys. You’re more of a good passer with good mobility. We saw some comfort with running the ball and reading edge guys in the Rose Bowl, and with NFL offenses embracing dynamic skill sets from QBs, how important is continuing to develop that part of your game?

I think it’s huge, I think it changes the game and, kinda like in the last few games of the year, the read concepts really gave us an advantage in those games. We knew kinda going into those games, the way their defensive ends played, it’d give us an advantage. It’s a really underrated part of the game and it can be really helpful at times.

The Pac-12 Network made a video where a bunch of conference legends congratulated you, and you got a little emotional when we saw this outstanding message that Joey Harrington sent you. Could you talk about Joey and what he means to you as a guy you idolized as a kid?

Growing up watching Joey, we had his jersey, was just such a big fan of his. He’s been there ever since day one, especially even when we went 4-8 that one year, he was there, he was reaching out, and he’s been true ever since. His support has meant the world to my family and I. He’s always been there and says such nice things and gives great advice, I’ve really leaned on him these last couple years.

What’s the best advice that he’s given you, whether it’s related to football or something unrelated?

He really just tells me to do my best. That’s all you can ask for — doing your best, being a good person, and everything else will come. You can’t get too worried about all these extra distractions and things that take away from your focus, but it’s all about football, doing your best, and at the end of the day, you can’t ask for anything more than that.

Let’s talk NFL for a second, what is it about the Chargers that makes you believe you’re going somewhere where you can succeed?

I think they’ve got a lot of athletic skill players. They have probably one of the best rosters in the country and they’ve got a great coaching staff, an unbelievable defense, and I know that they’re all thrilled and fired up for me playing for the Chargers. I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity.

You’re going to something of a unique situation because not all rookie quarterbacks are lucky enough to go to a place where there’s a guy like Tyrod you can learn from. What do you hope to learn from him once you’re able to get to LA?

Whatever I can. He’s had a lot of success and he’s been in the league for a long time, and that doesn’t happen by accident. So I’m gonna go there, I wanna compete with him, I wanna push him, just like I’d want from him, and I’m gonna do my best to learn from him and be the best quarterback that I can be.

I know that you’re in the now and you’re in the midst of one of the high points of your life, but look down the road 15-20 years, what needs to happen for you to say “I had a successful NFL career”?

I need to keep doing the right things on and off the field. I need to work hard, I need to prepare like I have been, I need to get better, take a lot of the things that I’ve been working on and continue to listen to coaches and do by best.

In that NBC video, I remember you mention an interest in possibly being a football coach some day. Is it important to you to be able to give back to the next generation of football players whenever the time may come for you to do that?

I think it’d be huge. I think football is one of the greatest sports on this planet, and to give the same feelings to others that I’ve felt playing this game is a goal of mine. I want to be around this game for as long as I can, and when I’m done playing, I hopefully will be able to coach it.

Two final questions. One, you’re someone who studied general sciences with a bio emphasis and we’re living in the midst of a pandemic, what’re your thoughts on what’s going on as someone who can view it as a more scientifically-inclined point?

I wasn’t too much into biology, or pathogens and things like that. My older brother would probably be the one to ask about that, he’s the one going to medical school and he’s got a much better feel for it. I can only tell you more about organisms and things like that, this isn’t too much of my specialty.

Totally cool. My final question, there are a bunch of dudes at Oregon I wanna ask you about. I know the goal is for the Chargers to not have a record where you can get him, but because he’s going to join you in being a top-10 pick soon, what makes Penei Sewell so special?

Yeah, he is an incredible human being. He’s a great guy, he moves about as well as anybody I have ever seen. To move like that and be that size is a rare combination. He works extremely hard and he’s done everything right on the field. When he gets on the field, he’s a different animal, one of those guys that you’re just so happy that he’s on your team and blocking for you. It’s been an honor to play with him, I can’t wait to watch him for these next couple of years.

Whether it’s a one-off episode (like Parks and Recreation), or reunion (like Friends), or musical variety special (like Happy Endings, I hope), The Office cast getting back together seems inevitable. Mindy Kaling, who both wrote for and starred in the still-popular NBC sitcom, used to think that was a “stupid idea,” but she’s changed her mind, and FX’s Fargo adaptation had something to do with it.

“When I heard they were going to make Fargo into a TV show, I was like, “Not Fargo, the pristine, perfect Oscar-winning Joel and Ethan Coen directed movie. That’s so perfect.” And then, I loved the show,” Kaling told Collider. “So it’s one of those things where, if I was 24 when you told me this, I would’ve scoffed and been like, ‘Oh, no, what a stupid idea.’ But now, depending on who’s doing it, I think it could be great, for sure. Particularly if Greg Daniels was doing it because had such a great vision for the American Office.”

There’s definitely interest in an Office reunion among the cast, but it’s a matter of availability. Among other responsibilities, Steve Carell has Space Force (created by Greg Daniels), John Krasinski has his movie career, and Mindy Kaling has her new show, Never Have I Ever, which is really good, by the way. Stop watching The Office on Netflix and check it out. Don’t worry, “Beach Games” will still be there for you afterwards.

(Via Collider)