Category: News

After enjoying success as a teen idol pop star in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Aaron Carter had a comeback in recent years. In 2018, he released Love, his fifth album and first since 2002’s Another Earthquake!. He followed that in 2022 with Blacklisted, which would end up being a posthumous: Carter died just two days before the project’s release, at 34 years old. The album ended up getting removed from streaming services, though, as it was apparently released without the permission of Carter’s management.

Now, though, a more legitimate posthumous release from Carter is on the way: Today (April 5), Angel Carter Conrad and Aaron Pearce announced The Recovery Album. The project, featuring previously unreleased music from Carter, is set to drop on May 24, which is during Mental Health Awareness Month.

A portion of proceeds from the project will benefit On Our Sleeves (a national movement for children’s mental health) and a trust established for Aaron’s son Prince Lyric Carter.

A single titled “Recovery” is set for release on April 26. The song previously generated some attention online following Carter’s death, when a video of him performing the unreleased track was shared online.

The Recovery Album is out 5/24 via Symphonic Distribution. Find more information here.

On Friday morning, residents of New York City, New Jersey, and Philadelphia were rocked by what authorities are calling an earthquake. It’s a rarity for that part of the country with the most notable occurrence happening all the way back in 2011.

However, Ice-T has come since forward to apologize for all the rumbling and shaking, and he offered a scientific explanation of his own: He was getting freaky with his wife Coco Austin, and he’s real sorry about all the commotion.

“ATTENTION. That was Not an Earthquake in NJ,” Ice-T tweeted in an address to the nation. “I just like to get a little Morning Sex now and then… Everyone relax and get back to normal. My fault.”

Despite Ice-T taking full, and entirely plausible, responsibility for Friday’s seismic activity, government officials are still crediting the event to a sizable quake based in the Garden State.

Via NBC News:

The USGS measured the quake as a 4.8 temblor with its epicenter near Lebanon, New Jersey. It struck a little before 10:30 a.m. ET. The earthquake was the strongest recorded in the Northeast in more than a decade, according to USGS records.

There were no immediate reports of major destruction or any fatalities. Local and regional officials from cities in the earthquake zone said inspections had been launched to ensure that buildings, bridges and other infrastructure were not damaged.

Frankly, we would have let Ice-T have this one. Would it have killed the U.S. Geological Survey to chalk up just one earthquake as the result of a beloved rapper/actor having early morning relations with his wife? Honestly.

(Via Ice-T on Twitter)

Eating an early dinner has always been a stereotype associated with older, retired people who don’t have to worry about work schedules and traffic. Plus, older people tend to have an early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule and are more concerned about thoroughly digesting their meals before hitting the hay.

But an unexpected change in the great American culture means that older people and Gen Zers are more likely to fight each other for a 5 p.m. reservation at their local diner. A recent story in The Wall Street Journal shows that an increasing number of Americans are going out to dinner earlier.

According to Yelp data cited by the WSJ, restaurants currently seat 10% of diners between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. That number has doubled since 2019 when only 5% of people went to restaurants between those hours. People are also taking Ubers to dinner earlier these days, with a 10% jump in rides between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and a 9% drop in those after 8 p.m.

— (@)

The trend has also caught on in New York City, which, at one time, was known for being a city that never sleeps. RESY reports that reservations across New York City made at 5:30 p.m. have jumped from 7.75% to 8.31% over the past two years, while 8 p.m. reservations have fallen to 7.8%, down from 8.31%.

So what has happened? Have Americans been so run down by the last few years that they’re now acting like their grandparents? Is it more important to binge TV before bedtime than burn the midnight oil with friends? The Robb Report attributes the change to hybrid work. These days 34% of people work from home most of the time, so they can leave the house a lot earlier than before. Plus, when you’re cooped up in your house all day it’s nice to get out and enjoy a bite to eat as soon as possible.

Broadway has adapted to the new trend by scheduling its performances earlier in the day. Movie theaters accommodate the new early-bird lifestyle by adding more early screenings and canceling those that run late at night.

Devorah Lev-Tov from RESY New York applauds the change. “A few years ago, we would’ve joked about dining with all the old folks or being condemned to screaming children. Yet now, 5 or 5:30 p.m. is my preferred time to dine … And I’m not alone,” Lev-Tov writes.

According to research, this new change in the American lifestyle could benefit our collective health.

A study published by Cell Metabolism found that people who eat all their meals within a 10-hour window and finish dinner earlier in the day are less hungry, burn calories faster and have a lower risk for obesity.

This rapid change in America’s dining habits shows how sometimes the things we think are deeply embedded in our culture can easily change overnight. The next question is, will brunch still be brunch when people begin eating it at 7:30 a.m.? Because then it’s just breakfast, and drinking champagne for breakfast feels uncouth. But then again, that could change, too.

This article originally appeared on 7.4.23

Look, you’re busy. You’ve got stuff that needs to be done today. Do you really have time to watch tiny baby goats jump in slow motion? Will that really add anything of value to your life?

Actually, the answer is yes. Because watching tiny baby goats jump in slow motion is not only exceedingly entertaining, it’s actually a simple life lesson in disguise.

These little guys hail from Sunflower Farm Creamery in Maine, where 60 (yes, 60) goats are born each year. Sunflower Farm promises that even if you didn’t love goats before, you will after watching videos from its Youtube channel showing the wee babes run, play, hop and snuggle. I mean, there’s another video showing the goats in pajamas…what’s not to love?

But back to this one. In the video’s description, Sunflower Farm writes, “The amount of effort a baby goat puts into each hop is astounding, and only fully observed by slowing down their motion so you can see every twist and turn clearly. They leap so bravely forward. Even the youngest six, who are one week old, are full of twists and turns and side kicks.”

Yep, in the clip you can definitely see boundless energy and fearlessness in their leaps. Which, let’s be honest, might not always result in the most graceful move. And yet when you slow that action down and put on a little Tchaikovsky, it suddenly becomes a riveting ballet nonetheless.

Check it out:

The farm added that the goats aren’t merely hopping around to learn how to avoid predators. They are also simply doing it for the “joy of it.” Play in the animal kingdom is as nuanced as it is for humans, with many experts noting that some species actually don’t engage in play to develop any sort of motor or cognitive skills. They do it, seemingly, just cause.

In other words, these goats “leap because they can.” And that’s that.

Folks who watched the video seemed to agree that their spontaneous, unbridled joy was contagious.

“OMG, the sheer joy! I had no real understanding of how random their movement was! That is probably the best thing I’ve seen in months!” one person comments.

Another added, “These kids are simply experiencing the sheer joy of life bursting out of them. Absolutely wondrous to watch.”

Sure, it’s a silly little goat ballet, but Sunflower Farms argues that humans could learn a thing or two from it.

“Humans could benefit so much by practicing being more nimble, fluid, and joyful. It is so easy to get stuck in our ways, to feel heavy, and weighed down by the world. The goat kids show us that there is another way,” the video description read.

Indeed, life might feel heavy at times. But take it from a group of baby goats…jumping around for no reason at all can be the best pick-me-up. No kidding.

This article originally appeared on 5.7.23

Americans’ attitudes about water have changed over the past 30 years. In the past, a common phrase on the athletic field was, “Don’t drink too much water, you’ll get a cramp,” and the only people with water bottles were hippies.

Now, people everywhere walk around with large water bottles, sometimes up to 64oz, attached to themselves like purses. It’s like people leave the house with the sincere belief that they will not be able to find potable water for the next 3 weeks.

The hydration craze has also meant that water bottles have become trendy status symbols and markers of personal identity. Are you more of a Yeti person or a Stanley?

The trend has also been passed down to our children, who are encouraged to bring water bottles to school daily. Miss Smith from the Popular Bored Teachers TikTok page had fun with the trend in a video that received over 1.5 million views.

“Does anyone over 30 remember being allowed to have a water bottle in their elementary classroom?” she asks in the video.

Do you remember these days?

@bored_teachers

Do you remember these days?! #boredteachers #teachers #teacher

Miss Smith recalls the only water she had during school back in the day was at lunch or during snack and even then, the time she was allowed at the water fountain was limited.

“You were like gulping for life at that water fountain while kids behind you were like obnoxiously counting down or being like, ‘She’s getting more than 3 seconds!'” Then, the teacher would tap you on the shoulder, and you were done.

“Can you imagine if we did that to today’s kids? The emails! The calls I would get,” she continued.

The funny thing is that even though kids didn’t drink much water back in the day—and if they did, it was out of a fountain—somehow they survived. Now, we’re raising an entire generation that feels compelled to lug a heavy and costly bottle with them wherever they go, fearing they will suffer from dehydration.

The post resonated with many folks over 30 who lived through the dry days of pre-Millenium America.

“I hear all the time that behavior issues have risen since we were kids; my theory is we were too dehydrated to misbehave,” LauraLadymon joked. “We didn’t have water bottles because they also didn’t want us to ever go to the bathroom,” UA added. “I don’t remember drinking water as a kid. Unless it was from a hose, it was Kool-Aid or milk. How am I still alive?” Julia said.

The hydration craze was in the news recently after the new, limited edition Stanley + Starbucks water bottle was released at Target stores. The frenzy over the $45 bottle had people camping outside Target and jumping counters to get their hands on newly designed bottles that are hot with younger women.

The bottles promise to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold for an extended period of time. So when you drop your daughter off at first period, her water is still cold by the 3:05 bell rings.

Camped out at Target for the new viral pink Starbucks Stanley cup thing for my kiddo. Ridiculous? Yes. Fun? Also yes…😜#StanleyCup

@vincentmarcus

Camped out at Target for the new viral pink Starbucks Stanley cup thing for my kiddo. Ridiculous? Yes. Fun? Also yes…😜#StanleyCup

This article originally appeared on 1.12.24

You know that scene in Mean Girls where Regina scans the Burn Book and scatters the copies throughout the hallway, resulting in a massive riot as all the girls vent their grievances in physical, violent fashion (if not, here you go)? That’s what Rap Twitter looks like right now: utter chaos.

The Burn Book in this case is J. Cole’s “7 Minute Drill,” the North Carolina rapper’s response to Kendrick Lamar’s call-out in “Like That.” The massive debate is even drawing in some of music’s biggest names, including Usher Raymond, of all people. Usher shared a screenshot from his Spotify while playing “Pi” from Cole’s new mixtape Might Delete Later, which also contains “7 Minute Drill.” “Pi” features, hilariously enough, Kendrick’s former labelmate on Top Dawg Entertainment, Ab-Soul, and LA battle rapper Daylyt, who is in a group with TDE President Punch Henderson, A Room Full Of Mirrors. Fans believe this means Usher is not only Team Cole, but that he’s suggesting that even rappers with ties to K. Dot are, as well.

Obviously, this is all fun and games. Lest we not forget, Jay-Z and Nas not only teamed up onstage but on several records after “Takeover” and “Ether.” It is NOT that serious. But this might be the funniest twist in the saga yet.

The Philadelphia 76ers are feeling good right now, as the team is getting Joel Embiid back from injury just in time for the postseason. Since Embiid returned from a procedure on his meniscus earlier this week, Philly has taken down the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat, and while they still have some work ahead of them, they’re only a game back of the 6-seed in the Eastern Conference and an automatic berth in the playoffs.

Beyond this year, the Sixers seem to have fended off the Embiid trade rumors that popped up earlier this year, while Tyrese Maxey is in line for a monster extension. And as an added bonus, the team is entering this offseason with a whole lot of cap space, and according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, a name to watch is Paul George.

Via ESPN:

There is a pathway for Philly to salvage this season. Going forward, it is armed with max-level cap space. The Sixers would leap at the chance to use it on Paul George, sources said. George has yet to sign an extension with the LA Clippers and could become an unrestricted free agent in July if he forgoes that extension.

George is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason if he doesn’t pick up the $48.8 million player option in his contract. While the Los Angeles Clippers have already agreed to a lucrative contract extension with Kawhi Leonard, both George and James Harden are eligible to hit the open market.

It’s not hard to imagine how George, who will turn 34 in May, could be a snug fit alongside Embiid and Maxey. The veteran wing is averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals in 34.1 minutes per game this year while shooting a career-best 41.2 percent from three.

Rap Twitter is in a frenzy after J. Cole dropped his surprise mixtape Might Delete Later with its Kendrick Lamar response “7 Minute Drill.” Clapping back on K. Dot after he called out Cole and Drake on “Like That,” the North Carolina rapper asserts “Your first sh*t was classic, your last sh*t was tragic / Your second sh*t put n****s to sleep but they gassed it.”

Putting aside debate about which of Kendrick’s albums counts as his second, the discourse was quickly joined by Top Dawg Entertainment President Terrance “Punch” Henderson, who defended To Pimp A Butterfly and Kendrick as the opinions flew. Unfortunately, even making as innocuous a statement as “I thought to pimp a butterfly was pretty good” opened the industry vet up to a deluge of responses — which, to be fair, he’s pretty much used to after SZA fans used him as their personal punching bag all through the wait for SOS.

His follow-up tweet also garnered a huge response. “The current rap climate got me realizing a lot of you music industry ppl are Kdot haters,” he asserted. “lol you telling me you n****s been secretly hating ALL this time!” He later clarified that “industry ppl” refers to “the folks that work in music,” rather than the rappers currently trading shots on records.

The responses largely fall into two categories. One: People who agree with Punch, and two: people who REALLY disagree with Punch. “There’s more Kdot dick riders on Twitter than you’ll ever find in real life lmfao,” read one quote. Another contended, “That privilege people say Drake has is actually Kendrick ten-fold. Drake would drop a pack of ass & go platinum because of who he is, but that’s where it ends. But you see Kendrick? He’ll drop the most unlistenable sh*t, probably poo on a track & be gifted awards.” YIKES.

While many of Punch’s detractors rightly point out that Kendrick has 17 Grammys and a Pulitzer to his name despite the lukewarm reaction to his last album and that it’s not “hate” to simply dislike one of his five (or four, depending on how you count) albums (and many, many side projects), the defenders were more apt to put down any criticism with ad hominem attacks on straw men. Hmmmmm.

As the debate rages on, I feel it’s important to note that it’s all subjective and personal. None of should really be worrying what anyone else thinks, especially if it’s going to result in anger at people you don’t know and will never meet. Let’s all be a little nicer about this, yeah?

Playboi Carti’s Opium crew is poised for a big breakout in 2024, even despite canceling their Antagonist Tour. After Homixide Gang dropped their crime-epic video for “Hi-Voltage” last week, it’s Destroy Lonely’s turn at bat. The Atlanta native gets a big co-sign from one of his cities brightest stars, landing a feature on the new Quavo song “Potato Loaded.” The rap nepo baby (his dad is I-20 of Disturbing Tha Peace fame) proves supremely adaptable, switching easily from his usual distorted soundscapes to a more familiar trap production alongside the industry vet.

In the stripped-down, accompanying video, the two Big Peach natives keep things simple. You’ve seen videos set at house parties; how about throwing a party in a freight elevator? Surrounded by video vixens, the two rappers deliver their menacing, boastful bars under lurid green lights with money all over the floor and an assortment of jewelry and drugs to show off. Their performances are intercut with a dynamic chase shot of DL hanging out the passenger side of a sports car as the duo cruises through the city streets.

“Potato Loaded” is Quavo’s third video of the year, following visuals for “Real One” with Rich The Kid and “Himothy.” While he hasn’t announced a new album, don’t be surprised if he pops out with one soon enough.

Watch Quavo’s “Potato Loaded” video with Destroy Lonely above.

In the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson surprisingly bucked his independent political stance by endorsing Joe Biden for president. It was the first time the iconic wrestler-turned-blockbuster movie star backed a presidential candidate, and it may have been the last.

As The Rock prepares for his heavily-hyped return to WrestleMania, he’s making it clear that he’s going to stay out of the 2024 presidential election that has, once again, resulted in a showdown between Biden and Donald Trump. However, The Rock stands by his decision to back Biden in the previous election.

“The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was one I thought was the best decision for me at that time,” he told Fox & Friends co-host Will Cain before explaining why he’s not backing either candidate this time around.

“That answer is no,” The Rock said. “I’m not gonna do that.”

Via Newsweek:

Johnson went on to say that his endorsement of Biden in 2020 sparked “division” in America and added: “I realized now going into this election, I’m not gonna do that and I wouldn’t do that because my goal is to bring out country together… in the spirit of that, there’s gonna be no endorsement.”

“I’m gonna keep my politics to myself,” Johnson said.

Does this decision mean The Rock is finally getting serious about running for president like he’s repeatedly teased over the years? Nope, he’s done with that, too.

“That’s not my intention, Will. I’m not a politician, and I’m not into politics,” The Rock said. “I care deeply about our country. I’m a patriot, and I believe you are too, and right now, my desire and my priorities are my babies.”

You can watch The Rock’s interview with Will Cain below:

(Via Newsweek)