Category: News

We’re now a bit over a week away from the 2025 Oscars, which are set to air on March 2. As the date approaches, a clearer picture of what the Conan O’Brien-hosted 97th Annual Academy Awards will look like is starting to come into focus: The Hollywood Reporter reports that Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are set to perform during the broadcast.

Wicked didn’t pick up a Best Original Song nomination (Wicked songs have been around for a wicked long time), but it is otherwise heavily nominated, as it’s up for Best Picture, Best Actress for Erivo, Best Supporting Actress for Grande, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup And Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.

Meanwhile, Grande recently addressed some of the less wholesome fan art of her and Erivo’s characters that exists out there on the internet, saying, “I wish I could unsee some things. I mean, wow, I had a feeling, but I didn’t know it would be on this scale or this graphic.” She was also recently asked if getting an Oscar nod is betting than being Grammy-nominated, but she pleaded the fifth.

Find the full list of Oscar nominations here.

ESPN has spent the past two years making major changes to its NBA staff, as their NBA coverage team was hit hard by layoffs and has seen some unexpected departures on top of those firings. The top broadcast booth, in particular, has been a revolving door over the past two seasons after being one of the most consistent lead booths in sports for the decade prior.

Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson were laid off before the 2023-24 season, with Doris Burke being elevated to the top booth alongside Mike Breen and ESPN bringing back Doc Rivers to join them. Rivers lasted just a few months before bolting back to an NBA bench, taking the Milwaukee Bucks job in the middle of last season, creating some turmoil for ESPN’s lead broadcast team. JJ Redick was eventually elevated into that third seat, but he left at the end of the season for a coaching opportunity of his own with the Los Angeles Lakers.

To start the season, ESPN just kept Breen and Burke together as a tandem, but eventually moved Richard Jefferson up into that third seat. Until Monday, ESPN had not committed to Jefferson being part of the top crew for postseason, but the network has now officially announced he would indeed be joining with Breen and Burke for the rest of the season and would be on the call with them for the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals in May and June.

Jefferson has been a good fit between Breen and Burke, as he’s adept at breaking down the game but really shines in helping bring Burke’s full personality out in a way Redick did not. That group has been more entertaining this year with Jefferson while still being able to provide great insight into the basketball being played.

Nipsey Hussle passed away almost six years ago, but his marathon continues. March 1st is the grand opening of Marathon Burgers in Los Angeles, just a few minutes away from the store where Nipsey first began expanding his entrepreneurial legacy. The Marathon (Brand) started the burger concept in 2024 with a pop-up and is officially opening the diner with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon on March 1.

In a statement, The Marathon (Brand) team said, “The Marathon team is excited to expand the brand into the restaurant industry here in LA. When Nipsey birthed The Marathon (Brand), launching it with The Marathon mixtape in 2010, the goal was always to enterprise this into a full lifestyle brand – music, fashion, food/hospitality, and entertainment. This is another step towards reaching Hussle’s vision.”

The diner is located at Melrose Avenue and Gardener Street, and will offer a menu including the titular smashburgers (two Wagyu beef patties smashed with grilled onions, served on a toasted brioche bun and topped with gourmet Fresno Peppers, house made pickles, American cheese, ketchup, mustard and “secret sauce”), fries, wings, and milkshakes.

The restaurant is just one of Hussle’s many business concepts, which included co-working spaces, the revitalization of his Crenshaw neighborhood, and of course, Marathon clothing, which still lives on as an appointment-only boutique just a few blocks from the Marathon Burgers location. The Neighborhood Nip Foundation is also teaming up with ASICS to co-sponsor the Los Angeles Marathon on March 16, with funds raised going to the Nipsey Hussle Plaza revitalization project.

The best Star Wars show is almost back.

Disney+ has released the trailer for season 2 of Andor, the Rogue One prequel series that follows Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) as he becomes an increasingly important player in the Rebel Alliance.

Revolution is in the air, and fittingly, the trailer is set to a rebellious song: “The Revolution Starts Now” from the 2004 album of the same name by working class hero Steve Earle (he was also very good in The Wire!). Is it jarring hearing a “real” song, not a John Williams or John Williams-inspired score, in a trailer for a Star Wars project? Sure is. And yet! It works.

Watch the trailer above.

“One of the great thrills of making Andor is the scale of the story and the number of characters we’re able to meet — ordinary people, Imperial overlords, passionate revolutionaries,” creator Tony Gilroy. “They are real people making epic decisions, all of them staring down questions with terrifying consequences. Cassian’s journey is the soul and spine of our story, but it’s the choir that makes the show. I’m so excited for audiences to see where we go in season 2.”

Andor season 2, which also stars Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Faye Marsay, Varada Sethu, Elizabeth Dulau, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn, and Forest Whitaker, premieres on April 22.

Rapper bobbleheads are kind of a theme today. “If I had two nickels, etc.,” but it is pretty funny that two different teams in different sports are in the headlines today for more-or-less the same reason. While the Detroit Pistons are hosting their Big Sean Day in March, the Houston Astros invited their lucky charm, Travis Scott, to throw out the first pitch at their spring training opener at CACTI Park against the Washington Nationals, in a ritual that is becoming kind of a tradition.

2,000 fans who attended went home with bobbleheads of the rapper decked out in a baseball uniform emblazoned with the name of his hard seltzer brand (which also has the naming rights for the Astros’ training facility). Here’s a pic; it’s kind of adorable:

Brands have clearly jumped back on the Cactus Jack bandwagon after his falling out over the Astroworld Festival tragedy in 2021. He bounced back in 2023 with the release of his album Utopia, hitting the ground running and refusing to slow down throughout 2024, which saw him re-release his fan-favorite mixtape Days Before Rodeo and tour the globe. He carried all of that momentum and goodwill in to 2025, beginning the year by debuting his new single “4×4” at the College Football Championship and appearing on new projects from The Weeknd and SZA (he says he’s also plotting collaborations with Khruangbin, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift). The last time he dropped an album, the Astros won the World Series; it looks like both Houston institutions are going big this season.

If you’ve ever wanted a Big Sean bobblehead, March 25 will be your chance to get one, as the Detroit Pistons host “Big Sean Night” at the Little Caesar’s Arena for their game against the San Antonio Spurs. The Big Sean takeover will feature special features and activations throughout in honor of the Detroit rapper, curated by the hometown hero himself. The halftime, however, will be performed by a different Motor City MC: Nasaan, son of the late Detroit battle rap hero Proof.

In the press release, Sean said: “Being from the city, you all know how much this means to me and the journey we all have to go through to make something of yourself, so I truly appreciate the support. To be able to work with The Pistons as The Creative Director of Innovation is a dream come true, and I can’t wait to bring Don Life to the city.”

In addition to the Big Sean bobbleheads, available through a special charitable ticket package, the Pistons will offer a collection of limited-edition merch designed by Big Sean in the team shops. Proceeds from the special ticket package will benefit the Detroit Pistons Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan via the Sean Anderson Foundation. The first 100 purchases will also include copies of the Uproxx cover star‘s book, Go Higher, and passes to a post-game book talk with Big Sean.

You can find more info about Big Sean Night and get tickets here.

Lately, Neil Young has been performing with his band The Chrome Hearts, and now he’s gearing up to do some more of that: Today (February 24), Young announced a new run of summer tour dates.

The shows kick off in Europe in June before coming to North America the next month. The tour run through to September 15, when it’ll wrap up with a performance at the Hollywood Bowl.

Tickets are available starting February 25 via a pre-sale for Neil Yuong Archives members. A general on-sale follows February 28 and more information can be found here.

Find Young’s tour dates below.

Neil Young And The Chrome Hearts’ 2025 Tour Dates: Love Earth

06/18 — Rättvik, Sweden @ Dalhalla
06/20 — Bergen, Norway @ Bergenhus Fortress
06/22 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ Tiøren
06/26 — Dublin, Ireland @ Malahide Castle
06/30 — Brussels, Belgium @ Brussels Palace Open Air, Palace Square
07/01 — Groningen, Netherlands @ Drafbaan Stedpark
07/03 — Berlin, Germany @ Waldbühne
07/04 — Mönchengladbach, Germany @ Sparkassenpark
07/08 — Stuttgart, Germany @ Cannstatter Wasen
08/08 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
08/10 — Richmond, VA @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront
08/13 — Detroit, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
08/15 — Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center
08/17 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
08/21 — Gilford, NH @ BankNH Pavilion
08/23 — New York, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach
08/24 — Bethel, NY @ Bethel Center for the Arts
08/27 — Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
09/01 — Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
09/05 — George, WA @ The Gorge
09/06 — Vancouver, BC @ Deer Lake Park
09/10 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater
09/12 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheater
09/15 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

R&B icon Roberta Flack has died at the age of 88, according to a statement from a rep given to Variety. Flack was best known for her Grammy-winning breakout hits, a 1969 cover of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and 1973’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” which was later covered by The Fugees’ Lauryn Hill on their 1996 album The Score, creating a second generation soul legend. Her songs were covered as recently as 2023, by Blackpink’s Jennie, highlighting her global impact.

The statement from Flack’s rep reads: “We are heartbroken that the glorious Roberta Flack passed away this morning, February 24, 2025. She died peacefully surrounded by her family. Roberta broke boundaries and records. She was also a proud educator.” No cause of death was given.

According to Variety, Flack’s breakout came as a result of the use of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play Misty For Me. He paid $2,000 for its use; nearly three years after its release, it topped the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972 as a result. Two years later, another of Flack’s covers, this time of Lori Lieberman’s “Killing Me Softly…,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the 1974 Grammy for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Flack went on to perform the song with the Fugees; Billboard reports that it is one of just a dozen songs to be Grammy nominated for Song of the Year that have had two versions reach the top 10. In 1999, Flack’s version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Flack’s 1974 hit “Where Is The Love” brought her commercial peak and her duets with Donny Hathaway are R&B canon. Her final album was 2012’s Let It Be Roberta, a Beatles cover project.

Wu-Tang Clan has been together, in one form or another, since 1992. But this June, the legendary rap group will begin their “final” North American tour.

Today (February 24), Wu-Tang Clan announced Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber, a 27-date tour that’s described as the “start of their final tour” and features “electric performances and a dedication to give fans one more chance to be a part of the group’s lasting legacy.” Run The Jewels will open the shows.

In a statement, RZA said, “Wu-Tang Clan has shown the world many chambers throughout our career; this tour is called The Final Chamber. This is a special moment for me and all my Wu brothers to run around the globe together one more time and spread the Wu swag, music, and culture. Most importantly to touch our fans and those who have supported us throughout the years. On this tour we’re playing songs we’ve never played before to our audience and me and our production team have designed a Wu-Tang show unlike anything you’ve ever seen. And to top it off we’ve got the amazing Run the Jewels on our side.”

Tickets and VIP packages for the Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber tour go on sale at 10 a.m. local time on February 28. You can find more information here. Check out the dates below.

Wu-Tang Clan’s 2025 Tour Dates: The Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber Tour

06/06 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
06/07 — Raleigh, NC @ Lenovo Center
06/10 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
06/11 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
06/13 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
06/14 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
06/15 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
06/16 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
06/18 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
06/20 — Ontario, CA @ Toyota Arena
06/21 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena San Diego
06/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
06/24 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
06/26 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
06/28 — Seattle, CA @ Climate Pledge Arena
06/30 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
07/01 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
07/04 — Greenwood Village, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
07/07 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/08 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
07/09 — Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
07/11 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
07/13 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell
07/14 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
07/16 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
07/17 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
07/18 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center

Cameron Brink was Kendrick > Drake before it was cool.

“When the [WNBA] draft was going on, we were doing questions on the orange carpet. The question was: Kendrick or Drake?” the Los Angeles Sparks first-round pick recalled on a recent episode of the Straight To Cam podcast. “And everyone chose Drake, and I was the only one that chose Kendrick.”

Brink’s preference apparently made its way to Lamar himself, she explained:

“Fast forward to USC [vs.] Notre Dame women’s basketball game a while ago, a guy came up to me with his super cute daughter. He was like, ‘I work with Kendrick, and he noticed that you were the only person who said him, and he f*cks with you.’ He says, ‘You’re LA.’ I was like, ‘Really!?’ I was like, ‘I love you, Kendrick.’ So then he was like, ‘I’ll take a video and I’ll show it to him, I’ll send it to him.’ And then the video, I was taking the phone, I was like, ‘I love you, Kendrick!’ Maybe he was lying, I don’t know. But I think he knows who I am, and that was a highlight of my life.”

It’s nice to see LA legends supporting LA legends, unless that guy was lying and he doesn’t actually know Kendrick. Then he should be banned from Crypto.com Arena for life. You can listen to the Straight To Cam podcast below, and watch a clip from the episode here.