Category: News

Beyoncé’s cultural impact has spanned nearly two decades, but it has never been more evident than in 2022. The multi-hyphenate brought the world to a screeching halt after releasing her seventh studio album, Reinassance, this past July, sparking national debates about topics like the “Great Resignation,” the Black roots of House music, and more.

2022 has been quite the year for Queen Bey. Aside from releasing her highly anticipated album, the singer starred in a new campaign with Tiffany & Co. earlier this year. She also achieved the record for having the most Grammy nominations ever — tieing with her Jay-Z for 88 nominations. Here are the three biggest moments from Beyoncé for 2022.

Beyoncé Releases Her Seventh Album, Renaissance

Beyoncé brought the world to a screeching halt with her latest album, Renaissance, an ode to House music, which was heavily influenced by Black and queer artists. The album sparked national debates about burnout in the workplace and the Great Resignation, making everyone want to “release their jobs.” The pop singer has yet to release the visuals for the project, causing considerable frustration within the “Hive.”

She is also rumored to be gearing up for a tour in 2023, guess we’ll have to wait and see.

2022 Oscars Performance

For her Oscar performance of King Richard‘s “Be Alive,” Beyoncé hit the streets of Compton, performing at a local tennis court. Surrounded by dancers with glowing, yellow ensembles and the signature hair beads that defined Venus and Serena’s early careers, the singer brings the song to life. It had been the first performance from Beyoncé in over five years, and the singer got to have her daughter, Blue Ivy, right alongside her, bringing the moment full circle.

The over-the-top performance was peak Beyoncé, which means sheer perfection, and we should expect nothing less.

Queen Bey Celebrates The Big 4-0

Along with dropping an album and racking up several nominations, Beyoncé hit another milestone this year — turning 40. The pop singer celebrated her 40th birthday this past September and in this new stage in he life, Beyoncé said she is working to “obliterate old boundaries” as she heads into uncharted territory.

“My wish is for my 40s to be fun and full of freedom,” she told Harper’s Bazaar last month. “I want this next decade to be about celebration, joy, and giving and receiving love. I want to give all the love I have to the people who love me back.”

Patrick Beverley and Chris Paul have had a number of run-ins with one another over the years. The latest back-and-forth came on Monday evening when the ultra-hobbled Los Angeles Lakers played the Phoenix Suns and Beverley finished a layup through a contest by Paul. It led to Beverley hitting Paul with a too small taunt, despite the fact that the make meant that the Suns held a 70-46 lead over their division rivals.

This is, of course, an extremely funny moment that shows that there’s still a whole lot of tension between the two guards — Paul and Beverley have had some pretty high-profile incidents, like the time Beverley shoved Paul from behind in the playoffs and earned a one-game suspension the following year.

As for the rest of the game, it went about as well as you’d expect a Lakers game with Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook all sidelined with injuries to go. The Suns picked up an emphatic 130-104 win, with Paul’s 28 points and eight assists leading the way. Beverley, meanwhile, had nine points and three dimes on the night, while another member of Los Angeles’ backcourt shouldered the biggest load, as Dennis Schröder scored 30 points on 12-for-19 shooting. The two teams will play again in March.

50 Cent recently revealed that he’d spent over $23 million in legal fees. But he doesn’t seem very worried about money anyway. In a recent interview, the “In Da Club” rapper said he turned down a $1.3 million offer from Universal Music Group due to their connection to Irv Gotti.

“Irv [Gotti] was talking in the interview, and he was talking about he was blocking me,” 50 Cent said, referring to when the Murder Inc. executive confessed he kept labels from signing 50 in 2020.

“Like he was blocking everything. He said, ‘I blocked him into a good situation.’ And it just went off. And, I saw the situations I didn’t feel where he felt he was blocking me at that point. But I wouldn’t do business with anyone who had direct associations or any influence to the things that they had that was working.”

He added, “So they offered me a million three to do a G-Unit and my solo album at Universal, and I just turned the deal down. [Tony] Yayo didn’t understand. He was like, ‘What? A million three you not gone do it, what? That’s like saying we hit the lottery, and you not going to pick up the ticket.’ And I’m like, ‘Nah, it’s not the right deal,’ because it’s in the Universal system. Def Jam and those guys was already making money from that system. Where they could influence and sabotage everything that I had going.”

Watch him explain in the clip below.

There’s no denying the resurgence of Y2K/2000s trends across the fashion industry. Yet, in the world of music, the ’90s continue to dominate. Across genres, fans and musicians alike can’t seem to get enough of that era. Several acts that break big during that time have made fierce comebacks, including Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. However, there’s one band that has remained awfully quiet musically. That band is no other than No Doubt.

Although the indie rock group hasn’t released any new music in a decade, frontwoman Gwen Stefani has remained visible since going solo in 2003. However, since her departure from NBC’s The Voice, fans of the group wonder if considering now that her plate is a bit less full, she would consider a reunion with her bandmates.

In a new interview with WSJ, Stefani revealed she’d be open to the idea. When asked, the “Hollaback Girl” singer initially played coy, saying, “what are the odds of anything?”

Later the singer decided to answer the question more directly, stating, “Anything can happen. I have no idea what’s going to happen with No Doubt. We haven’t really talked about doing anything, but it feels like everyone is, right?”

Stefani also acknowledged a reunion could be a lucrative opportunity for the group sharing, “All the ’90s people — Blink-182 did an eight-month tour that sold out in like five minutes.”

Nothing is entirely confirmed, but it seems like a No Doubt reunion could be something we see in the new year.

SZA just unveiled SOS, her first No. 1 album and long-awaited follow-up to Ctrl. The record has a lot of people emotional, even Lizzo posted her teary-eyed reaction to it. From blends of her signature, R&B ballads to the songwriter’s venture into rock, on the track “Ghost In The Machine” featuring Phoebe Bridgers, many fans find the album to be extra poignant. However, SZA is tired of her material being immediately classified as “sad girl music.”

In a new tweet, the singer wrote, “Ignoring songs like ‘SOS,’ ‘PSA,’ ‘Conceited,’ ‘Low,’ ‘Forgiveless,’ ‘Seek N Destroy,’ ‘Notice Me,’ or ‘Ex Pack,’ to pretend I only make sad girl music is dumb,” later adding, “Forgot ‘Good Days’,” in the replies.

Despite its downtrodden lyrics, even the pop-punk anthem “F2F,” has a catchy, upbeat sonic texture that doesn’t feel sad at all.

SZA was very nervous upon the release of this LP. On a recent podcast appearance, she said she “100 percent did not think” she would become so famous. She also didn’t think her fans would enjoy S.O.S.: “I never thought in a million years that people would like it,” she said. “My dad’s visiting right now with my mom. Everybody came down to make sure I didn’t lose my mind if the album went bad once it came out. And now we’re just hanging out ’cause it didn’t go badly!”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s case for a spot in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game became a little bit stronger on Monday night. Gilgeous-Alexander’s latest monster performance came against the Portland Trail Blazers, and included a game-winning jumper at the buzzer that helped the Oklahoma City Thunder defend their home court, 123-121.

Portland seemed like it was going all-out to prevent Gilgeous-Alexander from catching the inbounds pass from Jalen Williams, as Justise Winslow hounded the Thunder’s young star. It did not work, as Gilgeous-Alexander was able to seal off Winslow and get him off balance to create just enough separation for a pull-up.

The rest was pretty easy, as Gilgeous-Alexander pulled up, got an excellent look, and knocked down a jumper that gave Oklahoma City its 13th win of the year. On the night, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points on 10-for-24 shooting with six assists, two rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in 36 minutes of work.

Is Donald Trump finally about to get his comeuppance? In the last month, his business has been found guilty of fraud, the Jan. 6 committee has formally referred him to the Justice Department, and one MAGA candidate after another either flamed out or underperformed, killing the GOP’s hoped-for “red wave.” Getting dragged over lame NFTs is the least of his problems. How is he taking it? Not well. He can always vent on his rinky-dink Twitter clone. But a new report by The Washington Post finds his staff struggling to keep his spirits high.

Sources say Trump is wasting away in Mar-a-Lago with nothing to do, and friends know that when there’s nothing to do, he gets restless. How to soothe the savage beast that is the 45th president of the United States? Golfing is one way. He is often accompanied on his trips around his course by one of his employees, who’s also an One America News alum. Together, they putter around on a golf cart “equipped with a laptop and sometimes a printer,” on which he’s shown “uplifting news articles, online posts or other materials.”

Are these often pro-Trump valentines from the many sycophantic “news” sites? The report doesn’t specify — but probably, as Trump doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who enjoys new stories about kittens being rescued from trees.

That’s not all. Another staffer has her own remedy for the Trump blues: She calls up his allies, begging them to call the big guy up “to boost his spirits with positive affirmations.”

One of Trump’s longtime confidants describes his Mar-a-Lago life as “sad,” adding that it’s “like a Barbie Dream House miniature.” Others point out that after four years of evading responsibility for his actions as president, his downfall might come from his behavior since leaving the White House. Al Capone got busted for tax evasion; Trump could get busted for stealing classified government documents. “Sad!” indeed.

(Via The Washington Post)

The latest biopic exploring the life of the late Grammy-award-winning singer Whitney Houston, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, is hitting the theaters this Friday, December 23. After news of the film began circling the web, fans of the vocalist had several questions. The first and most crucial question was, who would play the legendary recording artist? With the trailer’s release, we now know Rise of Skywalker actress, Naomi Ackie, will star as the Newark, New Jersey native.

Second, who will cover the revered vocalist’s songs for the film? Canadian singer Deborah Cox did the honors for the 2015 Lifetime tv film, I Will Always Love You: The Whitney Houston Story. However, this production’s executive director and Houston’s former mentor, Clive Davis, thought it would be best to keep Houston’s original vocals. Or, as he told USA Today, “We just didn’t think anyone could capture her vocal genius.”

Fans may be torn on the film’s casting, but they overwhelmingly agree with Davis’ decision to keep Houston’s original vocal in the feature film. After all, Houston is considered the greatest vocalist of all time. With such a long list of groundbreaking singles to her name, including her cover of Dolly Porton’s “I Will Always Love You,” the song viewers are looking forward to the most as part of this film is the national anthem.

Previewed in the trailer, Houston’s 1991 performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV has remained the gold standard for decades. Unfortunately, the footage hasn’t been remastered for streaming services, but thanks to archival VHS footage, you can now watch Houston’s performance on YouTube.

Watch the full performance above.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody is set to hit the theaters on December 23. To grab your tickets, click here.

In 2019, Nipsey Hussle was tragically shot and killed in front of his Marathon clothing store. Years after his untimely death, the “Racks In The Middle” rapper and his work are still being memorialized today. Whether through college courses, emotional documentaries, and wax figures, his legacy has lived on.

Although Hussle’s family has received justice after his killer, Eric Holder Jr. was convicted of his slaying early last month, more information continues to unravel.

According to Rolling Stone, the most recent update in this trial is that Holder’s request to reduce his sentence. Instead of first-degree murder, he asked to bring it down to second-degree murder or manslaughter due to an “inconsistent” verdict. The motion has been denied by Judge H. Clay Jacke.

Judge Jacke has also rejected Holder’s attorney’s defense motion for a new trial. Holder’s sentencing will move forward. Holder is set to be sentenced on February 22.

Snoop Dogg recently revealed that Hussle rejected an offer to play Snoop in Straight Outta Compton because he wanted to be known for being himself. “He like, ‘No disrespect, big homie, but I can’t play you in the movie ’cause then people just gon’ know me for being you,” Snoop explained. “I gotta be me. All that’s with all due respect.’ And I was like, damn, that was gangsta. I [called Dre and Cube back and] said, ‘Y’all gotta go find somebody else!’”

Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The San Antonio Spurs are firmly in rebuilding mode, as evidenced by a 9-20 record and the NBA’s worst net rating (-10) at the start of play in the league on Monday. Still, there are positive signs for the Spurs when it comes to young talent, including Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and a trio of first round picks from the 2022 NBA Draft. One of those selections was former Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan, who started 21 of the team’s first 29 games and has considerable potential as a defender and facilitator.

Sochan does have a current weakness as a shooter, though, and that includes 17.4 percent from three-point range and just 11-of-24 to begin his NBA career at the free throw line. During the first half of Monday’s game between the Spurs and the Houston Rockets, Sochan elected to change his free throw routine and lofted a pair of attempts one-handed.

It isn’t uncommon for players to use this form in a drill setting, especially when working on getting away from off-hand guidance. It is quite odd to see in a live game environment, however, and perhaps the Spurs and Sochan are just searching for anything to fix his struggles. Though his current free throw numbers represent a comically small sample, Sochan also shot less than 60 percent at the college level, which perhaps is part of the calculus.

San Antonio can afford to be experimental given the current state of affairs and the realization that game results aren’t the most important thing. Still, this is bizarre to see, and it will be interesting to see what the rationale might be from a front-facing standpoint.