Category: News

Drake is no stranger to racking up hits, so it is no shocker that the Recording Industry Association of America has crowned him the highest-selling singles artist in its history, eclipsing Eminem.

On Thursday, the “Rich Flex” rapper earned 10 new plaques from the RIAA, bringing his total to a staggering 184 million. The Toronto rapper is in rarified company. This past March, Eminem was awarded the distinction after selling nearly 166 million singles.

Drake has grown into a commercial juggernaut throughout his career, earning at least five diamond singles, including “Hotline Bling,” “One Dance,” “SICKO MODE” with Travis Scott, and “Life Is Good” with Future.

It doesn’t stop there. The “Way 2 Sexy” rapper is on his way to having the highest certified RIAA song with 2018’s “God’s Plan,” which jumped to 15x-platinum status on December 8, making it the biggest-selling single in his catalog.

The record is currently jointly held by Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” and Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” which are both 17x-platinum.

Drake is also in competition with Jay-Z for having the most No. 1s atop the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, thanks to his latest project with 21 Savage, Her Loss. Drake and the Brooklyn rapper are neck and neck with 14 chart-topping records.

When a new game from Hideo Kojima drops, everyone pays attention. The legendary video game developer has made a name for himself on not being afraid to get weird with his video games or throw in some political commentary. The Metal Gear Solid franchise made him a beloved figure in gaming and his style is extremely appealing to fans.

Perhaps no games define how Kojima is willing to break the tradition of video games more than Death Stranding. The controversial game from 2019 was not focused on combat or highly intense action, but instead focused on traversing a difficult environment and working with other players to have an easier time getting from point A to point B. The results? Depending on who you ask it’s either great or terrible, and based on the trailer for Death Stranding 2 that Kojima dropped at The Game Awards, it doesn’t look like he’s changed course for the next game.

As weird as the first game is, it is inspiring to see a video game developer who is not afraid to make what he wants to make in a game and doesn’t cave to the expected norms of games. If he wants to make a sequel what some described as a “walking simulator” then he is completely within his right to do it! And who knows, maybe this one changes everything and really blows us away.

One of the best games of the last five years has to be the roguelike, Hades. Its addictive gameplay, incredible art style, and engaging characters captured fans’ hearts and became quickly beloved back in 2020. With a game as successful as Hades, we knew a sequel had to be on the way it was only a matter of when, not if, and during The Game Awards on Thursday we finally saw it.

To a clearly extremely excited crowd, Hades 2 was announced and we even got to see some gameplay. It’s pulling no punches, taking some clear inspiration from the first game, but since this is a sequel we can only assume that there is going to be plenty in Hades 2 to make it feel fresh and new.

This was one of the most no-brainer sequels ever. People adore the first Hades game to the point where even those who don’t play that many video games fell in love with everything about it. For a lot of people this is the first roguelike they’ve ever played, or the first one they ever truly fell in love with, and it’s always fun to find new ways to enter unfamiliar genres.

Possibly the best part? Hades 2 will be hitting early access and we’ll learn more about it in 2023, so we don’t have to wait too long for more details.

Week 14 of the NFL season includes the final slate of byes, with six (!) teams out of action this week. That limits the volume of opportunities on the board, but the stretch run of the campaign continues. In short, Week 13 was not fantastic in this space, with the Jets out-gaining the Vikings by nearly 200 yards, only to fall just short, and the Ravens not quite getting there with Lamar Jackson on the shelf.

That downturn had a negative impact on the season-long progress and, before flipping to five picks for Week 14, let’s take stock.

• Week 13: 1-4
• 2022 Season: 32-32-1

Come get these winners.

Houston Texans (+17.5) over Dallas Cowboys

This is so gross, but I have to do it. Houston is going to start Davis Mills, who appears to be an upgrade on Kyle Allen, and this is an enormous number. The Texans are horrifying, but this should probably be a couple points lower. Houston has only one loss by 18 or more points this year. Hold your nose.

Detroit Lions (-1.5) over Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota has the worst DVOA of any 10-2 team in NFL history. Absolutely no one believes the Vikings are actually a 10-2 team in terms of quality, but this is still a wild line, at least in the minds of some. Detroit is favored? Against a 10-2 team? Yep, lay it.

TEASER: Baltimore Ravens (+8) over Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals (+8) over New England Patriots

There are other legs I’d consider, but these are my favorites of the week. Yes, Baltimore let us down a week ago, and Tyler Huntley is the quarterback. I still love the Ravens getting eight with a game where the total is in the 30’s. Arizona getting eight at home against the Patriots is also quite juicy, and as always, we’re going through key numbers.

Carolina Panthers (+4) over Seattle Seahawks

With all due respect to Geno Smith, I’m a seller on Seattle at this number. The Seahawks have significant running back injuries, a porous defense, and an opponent that I think is undervalued in the market. Carolina hasn’t exactly been thrilling to watch this season, but they’ve played better in recent weeks and can keep this tight.

Los Angeles Chargers (+3.5) over Miami Dolphins

I’m breaking a rule by taking the Chargers at home, but snagging the 3.5 is appetizing. Los Angeles may have to get us in the backdoor to make it happen, but Miami has injury questions at key spots (left tackle, wide receiver), and it’s a buy-low on the Chargers after three losses in the last four games.

Al Pacino is largely regarded as one of the best actors of his era. His roles in movies like The Godfather and Scarface were not only memorable, but have made him an icon among film buffs everywhere. So it would make sense if you were having an awards show to have him reward someone for being one of the best actors of the year.

That said, even he seemed surprised to be the one opening up The Game Awards tonight. Before announcing the award for best performance of the year, Pacino was tasked with giving a speech about how far video games have come and while he gave a valiant effort he didn’t sound very confident in his words or why he was the one delivering this award on his own.

The video is a sight to behold and we strongly recommend watching not only his entire spiel — including doing curls with the award — but the following one by the winner Christopher Judge for his role as Kratos in God of War, who was understandably extremely excited to meet Pacino and gave him a big hug.

Well, if anything we at least all got to hear that Pacino still works out every day and used the trophy to get his daily reps in. Also, Judge seemed giddy that he got to meet Pacino so the oddness aside I’d call this a huge success for everyone involved!

Moneybagg Yo taps into his sensual side with his new music video for his latest single, “Quickie.”

Cast under a cool blue light, the Memphis rapper recalls sharing some x-rated moments with a past lover while trekking through the pitfalls of love and relationships. Throughout this titillating video, which is set in a strip club, Moneybagg Yo invites us into his world, complete with an unending cash flow, beautiful women, luxury cars, and nice jewelry.

“That lil’ p*ssy got some power, I can’t lie, it got me weak, oh/Fresh up out the shower, she look good enough to eat,” he raps. “That lil’ p*ssy got some tricks, grip my d*ck when it squeeze/Ooh, them quickies, be the best, got my Amiris to my knees.”

He continues: “Came from different planets, then, one day, we intertwined/ We relate on different levels, we got compatible signs.”

Before this, the rapper appeared on the CMG compilation Gangsta Art. One of his songs from the project, “Big League,” a basketball-inspired track featuring Yo Gotti, Mozzy, and Lil Poppa, was chosen as the official song of the 2022 NBA Finals. Gotti made the announcement via Twitter this past June.

You can check out the video “Quickie” above.

In the latest iteration of Spotify’s Live At Electric Lady series, Whitney popped into the studio and performed some fan favorites. Among the songs they performed are “Blue,” “No Woman,” and “Real Love.”

Additionally, the Chicago duo performed a cover of a fan favorite from another indie group. For Spotify’s last Live At Electric Lady EP, Whitney delivered a cover of Beach House‘s “Other People.”

“Other People” comes from Beach House’s Bloom album, which turned 10 this year.

On Whitney’s cover, the two recreate the song by way of keyboard and kickdrum, with a silky guitar loop throughout, creating a more instrument-driven version of the song.

Upon the EP’s release, Whitney shared an account of what it was like recording in the iconic studio and how the new imaginings of their songs and the Beach House cover came together.

“It’s wild to feel the history in that building,” they said in a statement. “It clearly breeds productivity and imaginative performance. We took this as an opportunity to shape the arrangements of our songs around a super-talented string quartet, as well as stripping back one of our favorite Beach House songs. We’re beyond grateful for the experience and look forward to coming back.”

You can check out Beach House’s Spotify-exclusive Live At Electric Lady EP below.

Bree Runway has surprised fans with a brand new EP, Woah, What A Blur!. Produced by EASYFUN, LIOHN & Khlar, Runway’s sudden drop includes her hit single, “That Girl,” which she released back in September. Her record also contains four new tracks, with a Stormzy collaboration on the ballad, “Pick Your Poison.”

As the rising star describes, she wanted to put out an EP to showcase how much the fans’ support has meant.

“Bree now is more awake than she’s ever been. I’m pressing restart after what a blurry year this has been,” she shared in a statement. “I became alive again putting this together, for a minute I wasn’t in the room, but I am now. Working with the producers I love and feeling more empowered has me ready to embrace who I am and my strengths.”

“WOAH WHAT A BLUR! is an embodiment of how blurry this year felt personally and professionally. It’s visiting the deep depths of my soul and showing everyone exactly that,” Runway added.

Along with the new EP, documentarian Nathan Miller put together a special video that highlights Runway’s biggest accomplishments and moments of 2022.

Above, watch the new video. Continue scrolling to view the Woah, What A Blur! cover art and tracklist.

1. “Archive Mami”
2. “Breee”
3. “FWMM”
4. “Pick Your Poison” Feat. Stormzy
5. “That Girl”

Woah, What A Blur! is out now via Motown Records. Buy/stream it here.

Back in 2012, for five weeks, Geno Smith sat atop the college football world. He led his West Virginia Mountaineers to a spotless, 5-0 record, which propelled them to a No. 5 ranking in the polls. Smith, behind 1,996 yards, 24 touchdowns (zero interceptions), and an 81.4 percent completion rate, was the comfortable Heisman favorite. That strong start also vaulted him up NFL Draft boards.

But the next week, Smith and West Virginia were routed, 56-30, by an unranked Texas Tech squad. They continued to sputter en route to a 7-6 record, a string of games that revealed some flaws and saw him end up as the 39th overall pick to the New York Jets. Smith started 29 games his first two years with the Jets before being relegated to a backup role over the next six seasons and even was out of the league in 2019.

A decade after his senior year breakout, Smith is in the spotlight again, spearheading a surprising 7-5 Seattle Seahawks team and playing like a top-10 quarterback. He even leads all NFC QBs in Pro Bowl votes. Looking the part of a bona fide star, Smith was provided an opportunity to reflect on what most would consider a challenging and tumultuous journey to this point. Only, Smith characterizes his path more optimistically.

“I can’t say it’s tough, man, because I’ve been so blessed,” Smith told reporters at a recent press conference. “My tough time would be a dream for someone else. So, I’ll never look at it as something that was too hard for me or really tough because, throughout that time, I was still enjoying life and still in the NFL.”

It’s a pretty incredible bit of perspective from Smith, who seems so genuinely happy in his current position and recent success. Smith, 32, has 3,169 yards, 22 touches to six interceptions and a 72.7 percent completion rate this season. He’s also seventh in DVOA. He’s been nothing short of tremendous and has likely solidified himself as a long-term starter, at least for the next few years.

Nav is teaming up with RealestK and SoFaygo for his upcoming 2023 Never Sleep Tour. On Thursday, the Toronto rapper released the tour dates and ticketing information.

Nav, RealestK, and SoFaygo kick off the 23-city tour at the Fillmore in Minneapolis on February 14 before making additional stops in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, and more.

The “Some Way” rapper will close out the tour with a special performance in his hometown of Toronto at the Scotiabank Arena, with a special guest appearance from Bryson Tiller.

The tour comes at an excellent time for the rapper and producer with his recently released album, Demons Protected by Angels.

Nav shared in a recent interview that the pandemic significantly impacted the title of the album and that being at home “humbled him.”

“Being inside the house, it kind of humbled me because I was always on tour, and people were always in my face and screaming for me,” Nav told Complex. “It just humbled me and made me deal with a lot of issues that I didn’t know I had. And that helps the music and the content.”

Following the release of pre-sale tickets on Thursday, December 8, tickets will be available on Friday, December 12.

All dates for the Never Sleep Tour are listed below.

02/14/2023 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fillmore Minneapolis
02/15/2023 – Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
02/17/2023 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room–Old National Centre
02/18/2023 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
02/21/2023 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
02/22/2023 – Washington, D.C. @ Echostage
02/24/2023 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
02/25/2023 – New York, NY @ Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom
02/28/2023 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
03/01/2023 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
03/03/2023 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
03/04/2023 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
03/06/2023 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
03/09/2023 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
03/10/2023 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
03/12/2023 – Vancouver, BC @ UBC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
03/13/2023 – Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
03/14/2023 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
03/16/2023 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
03/18/2023 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA
03/20/2023 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
03/21/2023 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
04/11/2023 – Toronto, ON @Scotiabank Arena