Category: News

Hot off the release of his self-titled third studio album, Yungblud spoke to Billboard about his musical influences and how he’s keeping rock-and-roll alive. In the interview, he recalled meeting Rolling Stones lead vocalist Mick Jagger, who had previously shouted out Yungblud during an interview with Swedish radio station P4.

“Mick Jagger is everything to me,” Yungblud said to Billboard, “as a frontman, as an activist, as a rock star, as a sex icon. When you’re meeting a rock ‘n’ roll star, you can’t be like, ‘Oh, my God!’ I did a shot of whiskey, walked in — alright Mick how are you? In my head, I was like ‘What the f*ck?’”

Over the past year, Yungblud has collaborated with artists like Avril Lavigne, Demi Lovato, Machine Gun Kelly, and Blackbear. As rock sounds are having a resurgence into the pop landscape, Yungblud said that in order for rock music to sound great, it must come from an authentic place.

“Rock-and-roll is about energy,” he said. “It’s not about a drum kit, it’s not about guitar, it’s not about anything other than freedom and energy, because energy doesn’t lie. Freedom to express, freedom to be yourself, freedom to not conform.”

Yungblud is out now via Locomotion and Geffen. Stream it here.

Game recognize game. At Saturday’s tribute concert for late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins at Wembley Stadium in London, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith had an incredible story to share. In between performances that featured acts like Them Crooked Vultures and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson joining the Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters on stage, Smith delivered a video message to the emotional crowd detailing one of his favorite Taylor Hawkins stories.

Smith joked that some of the stories he wanted to tell, wouldn’t have been appropriate for the event, so he chose, “…One that warms my heart,” instead, as NME reports. Smith detailed how Hawkins and Grohl would often swing by the Guitar Center store around the corner from the Foo Fighters’ 606 Studio. “Taylor would always bomb back to the drum room – the percussion section – and if there were little kids in there, wannabe drummers trying out stuff, he’d be in there and of course they’d be excited, like, ‘Oh my god, Taylor Hawkins is here, this is so cool’.”

Smith said that Hawkins would give these budding drummers advice whenever he was around and that he was pretty much in his element in that drum room. “One day, the manager came to the guy that ran the percussion section and said, ‘You know, I think something’s going on with TH’s credit card – there must be some fraud or something because I see thousands of dollars over months of charges and I’ve never seen Taylor buy anything ever here,” Smith explained.

“The guy that worked the counter in the percussion section said, ‘No, they’re not fraud. Taylor would actually buy drum equipment, drum sets, sticks, cymbals, whatever was needed for any of the kids that he was hanging out with,” Smith continued. “He knew how important it was to have good stuff and he would just buy it for them and never tell anybody and wouldn’t tell the store. The kids would walk out with the stuff and that’s the kind of guy that Taylor Hawkins is and I love him and I miss him every day. I know he’s really happy about this right now so I love you guys.”

Game recognize game indeed.

Red Hot Chili Peppers is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After the Sun stole Game 1 in Chicago and the Sky answered back with a big offensive performance in Game 2, the WNBA Playoff semifinals shifted to Connecticut for a pivotal Game 3 on Sunday afternoon.

Like Game 1, it was a physical, defensive struggle, as neither team could crack 40 percent from the field on the game, and after one quarter of play it was the Sun who had taken a narrow 21-18 lead thanks to a banked in DeWanna Bonner three at the buzzer.

Bonner finished the game with 18 points to lead the Sun in scoring and 11 rebounds, but most of that damage came at the free throw line where she was 8-of-9, as she was just 4-of-14 from the field. Early on, the only reliable source of offense for Connecticut was Natisha Hiedeman, who had 12 of her 14 points in the game in the fist two quarter, connecting on a pair of triples to provide a needed lift for the Sun.

On the other side, it was the same story as the first two games, where Candace Parker carried the load offensively for the Sky, likewise putting up 12 first half points as Chicago rallied in the second quarter to take a two-point lead into the half.

Helping Parker in this one was Kahleah Copper, who finished the game with 15 points, fueling the Sky’s transition attack as they forced 17 Sun turnovers that proved vital to opening up a bit of offense as their halfcourt sets were struggling to find rhythm.

Along with Copper, the Sky got a big contribution from Emma Meeseman, who had 12 points, six assists, and five steals, providing great activity on both ends of the floor.

The third quarter was mostly a wash, with both offenses still stuck in the mud and the Sun able to trim one point off the Sky advantage to make it a one-point game headed into the fourth. A quick three points in the first minute of the fourth from Brionna Jones gave Connecticut its first lead since the second quarter, and from there the two teams stayed locked in a one-possession battle for most of the quarter.

A Kahleah Copper three gave the Sky a 66-64 lead with 6:14 to go, and the score would not change for nearly four minutes of action, as neither team could buy a bucket.

A Meeseman midranger would break that spell and give Chicago a four-point edge they’d never fully relinquish, with the eventual dagger coming in the form of a Meeseman layup off a gorgeous feed from Courtney Vandersloot, one her five assists on the night to go with 12 points.

Ultimately, the Sky would go on to a 76-72 win to move them one game away from the WNBA Finals. Parker finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three blocks on the game, once again stuffing the stat sheet. On the other side, Brionna Jones and Courtney Williams each had 12 points to provide a bit of a lift for Bonner and Hiedeman, but as a team they go through too many cold spells, which led to an all-time mic’d up moment when coach Curt Miller pleaded with them to make layups saying he was going to get fired because of it.

Neither team shot well in this one, but the Sun’s combination of missed layups and 17 turnovers (to just 8 from Chicago) was the difference in negating their rebounding advantage. Miller tried to change things up late to no avail, leaving Jonquel Jones on the bench as she struggled in favor of Brionna Jones, but the Sun still could not find enough offense down the stretch. They will have to figure that out if they’re to force the series back to Chicago for a Game 5, or else the Sky will punch their ticket to a second straight Finals on Tuesday night.

Kanye West has been active on social media over the past few days, but today, instead of calling out Gap and Adidas, or sharing personal conversations between his ex-wife and her mother, he took some time to share some of his favorite songs.

The Grammy Award-winning rapper and producer has collaborated with several artists throughout his two-decade career, from up-and-comers to established heavy-hitters. Though he may be one of the most polarizing figures of our time, he certainly has a great ear when it comes to music.

Oh his Instagram today, he posted a screenshot of a music player playing “Church Girl” from Beyoncé’s seventh studio album, Renaissance. He captioned the post, saying “Favorite song on Beyoncé album.”

In the next post, he shared the title track from DJ Khaled’s 13th album, God Did, which features Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and a four-minute verse from Jay-Z. In the post’s caption, he deemed the song, “Song of the year next to Wait For You,” presumably referring to Future and Drake’s collaboration, “Wait For U.”

In the following post, he shared “Essence” by Wizkid and Tems, which he deemed the “Best song in the history of music to date.”

Closing out the series of posts, he shared “Fortunate,” a collaboration with The Game from his most recent album, Drillmatic: Heart Vs. Mind.

“Need to shoot a video,” he said in the post’s caption. “Me [and] game have never missed like literally have never missed. Just like me and Pusha.”

Ye’s ear for music drives him toward perfection. In a recent interview, producer Mike Dean revealed West scrapped an album’s worth of material while working on Ye in 2018.

This article originally appeared on 02.11.22

A father-daughter snowboarding session takes the cuteness up a notch, thanks to dad’s brilliant idea to attach a mic to his 4-year-old. Sweetness ensued.

Sporting an adorable dinosaur onesie, the “powder-saurus” glides through their “secret path,” warning dad of intruders. Cause clearly, it’s THEIR secret path.

As she does, she sings her song of resilience and courage.

“I won’t fall … maybe I will … that’s okay … cause we all fall.”

Truly powerful wisdom in such a tiny package.

One person astutely wrote in the comments, “this is the mantra we all need in 2022.” I mean … it’s accurate.

Another added, “this child gave a TED Talk about the power of positive self-talk.”

Indeed, “Shredder Dad” shares footage of our loveable snowboarding dinosaur making a few face plants, but she quickly bounces back. Nothing can stop her from her “weewhoos.” Nothing.

That is, until she becomes a “stuck-asaurus.” A truly relatable moment for all ages. Aren’t “indiscernible verbal struggles” part of the soundtrack of life? Still, she takes it all in hilarious stride, laughing all the way, and the positivity is heartwarming.

This video quickly put a smile on more than 6 million faces, and even got a comment from Walmart, which agreed that “we all fall sometimes.”

Turns out that there’s even more wholesome adventure content on the family’s TikTok. They even have a very thorough guide for teaching a toddler to snowboard here.

And by the way, yes, that dinosaur outfit does come in an adult size.

Next time you’re feeling down, just think of the powder-saurus song, and you’ll be back to “weewhoo” in no time.

This article originally appeared on 02.02.22

Kayla Berridge had been walking her normal 9-mile delivery route in Newmarket, a small town in New Hampshire, when she noticed something unusual.

The mail she had been delivering continued to pile up over a matter of days at one resident’s home. The resident was an elderly woman in her 80s, and would occasionally share a chat with Berridge, according to CNN.

Berridge told CNN that after noticing the unattended mail pile, she got “a little concerned.”

“I just had this gut feeling and wanted to make sure,” Berridge told WMUR 9 News, explaining that “most people put a hold in if they’re not there, so when people pick up their mail every day, you start to notice their habits.” Not to mention, the woman’s car was still in the driveway.

Berridge followed her instincts and called the local police department for a wellness check, and in the process saved the elderly woman’s life.

CNN reported that officers found the woman trapped on her bedroom floor under heavy artwork and frames. The theory is she tried to use her bed for support, and in the process these items on the bed fell onto her, pinning her down for three full days. Though she was suffering from hypothermia and dehydration, Police Lt. Wayne Stevens confirmed she was stable and recovering.

I can only imagine the agony and fear this poor woman was in, lying in the cold and not knowing if help would come. Luckily, help was on the way, and this story has a happy ending.

In this instance, the familiarity that comes from living in a small town really paid off. “Everyone has each other’s backs,” Berridge told CNN.

But Officer Stevens wanted to give credit where credit was due. He agreed that Berridge’s quick thinking was “part of being a letter carrier in a small town,” he added that her actions were “taking your job to the next level.”

While wellness or welfare checks have historically been associated with the elderly, they are seen as an equally “critical tool” for the safety of many young people as well, especially with the “rise of suicide rates among adolescents and young adults.”

An example of this is when “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson received a wellness check back in 2018. The comedian posted an alarming message to Instagram, saying “I really don’t want to be on this Earth anymore. I actually don’t know how much longer I can last.” This was after breaking off his engagement with Ariana Grande.

Though it certainly didn’t happen in a small town, the interconnectedness of social media helped raise some red flags and prompted authorities to make a visit.

If there’s anything to make you question someone’s well-being, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Will Chris Rock ever forgive Will Smith? If so, it won’t be any time soon. The comic has started to crack jokes about getting the crap slapped out of him on live television by someone who won an Oscar shortly thereafter, and he doesn’t appear ready to feel conciliatory. Instead, he’s been punchy, even declaring that he has no interest in returning to the show, this time as a host. (If he changes his mind, it will be his third time with the gig.) But at a recent stand-up show, Rock wasn’t the only one to drag Smith.

As per Deadline, Dave Chappelle has joined Rock on a European tour, where they split stand-up duties, one after the other. Rock reportedly only dedicated a small section of his set to the notorious attack, but he focused on one part of the aftermath: the video Smith released in July, in which he offered a full and earnest apology.

Alas, Rock wasn’t having it. Instead he said, “f*ck your hostage video.” He also admitted that “that sh*t hurt,” saying, “He played Ali. I can’t even play Floyd Mayweather.” Later he referred to Smith as “Suge Smith,” alluding to the infamous former Death Row Records producers, who’s in the midst of a 28-year prison sentence.

Meanwhile, Chappelle had his own on-stage attack. In May, a man stormed the stage during a show in Los Angeles, beating him briefly before being detained by security. “That was some scary sh*t,” Chappelle told the crowd. But he also earmarked some space at the end of his set to reference his stage mate’s incident, telling them to be themselves, unlike Smith, who he said “did an impression of a perfect man for 30 years.” He added, “I just hope he doesn’t put that mask back on.”

It’s not great news for Smith’s attempted comeback. After laying low and traveling to India, Smith late last month made a little, goofy, self-deprecating joke about his anxiety about getting “back on social.” He might have to wait a bit longer before he’s finally welcomed back.

(Via Deadline)

J.R. Smith played 16 seasons in the NBA, winning two championships alongside LeBron James in Cleveland and Los Angeles after carving out a role later in his career as a trusted veteran shooter.

There are plenty of current and former NBA players who would happily trade careers with Smith, and it’s safe to say he had a good career on the hardwood. Now, Smith is pursuing a second athletic career as a golfer, playing college golf at North Carolina A&T and becoming one of the faces of the push to make golf more inclusive and diverse. While Smith has gotten the chance to play golf with all manner of stars since his retirement from basketball, there’s no one that’s quite made him feel as excited as when he got to tee it up with Michael Jordan.

As Smith recalled to Complex Sports, he felt like a kid getting to play golf with his idol, but quickly learned that playing Jordan on the course isn’t that far off from playing him on the basketball court when it comes to trash talk and that competitive fire. Smith remembers tying Jordan one day and then how on the second round Jordan “smoked” him, while also delivering some cutting trash talk in the process.

“So we was betting, right? So I doubled down on one of my bets. I was like, 5 front, 5 back, and 5 overall. He was like, ‘alright, cool cool cool.’ I said, whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh, hundreds, not thousands. Hundreds. And he said, ‘no no no no no, I know what you talkin about. I know what you meant.’ And then he threw this jab at me low key, and I was like “ooh, that’s a good one.’ He said, ‘you had a good career, it wasn’t a great one, you had a good one.’”

Betting on golf with MJ seems like one of those things that’s equally fun and terrifying at the same time, so I can’t blame J.R. for trying to keep the stakes from getting too out of hand.

On the latest episode of The Game‘s social media series, Anything For The Game, the Compton rapper meets a fan named Angel in a parking lot. In a clip shared to TikTok, Game takes a selfie with Angel, before offering him $500 to complete a rather bizarre challenge.

The two enter a pet store, where Game gets a bag of crickets. He then asks Angel, “How much would you eat some crickets for?”

He offers Angel $500, to which he replies to Game, “How many do I have to eat?”

Game then says, “All of them.”

Angel complies, eating all of the crickets without hesitation.

Elsewhere in the video, Game spots another customer in the store looking at goldfish. He then asks the customer if he’s ever eaten a goldfish, to which he responds that he hasn’t.

“What if I gave you 500 bucks, would you eat one?” Game asks.

The man agrees to the challenge, adding that he’s eaten fish heart before.

He successfully swallows the goldfish after several attempts.

Last month, The Game released his 30-track album, Drillmatic: Heart Vs. Mind. In an interview with Billboard, Game revealed that producer Hit-Boy motivated him to hit the studio and make music.

“I don’t do no rapper stuff,” Game said, “but everything that I am and everything that I got going on now … rapping the way that I’m rapping, it’s all because of him.”

Each year, the folks at 2K Sports are tasked with trying to make a better version of their current flagship game, with the latest edition set to come out later this week, as NBA 2K23 hits consoles on September 9.

There are only so many advances in tech that can come each year, so the developers have to focus on adding more and more elements that can heighten the simulation experience. Among the ways they can do that is bringing players into their motion capture studio during the offseason so they can get more players actual animations and signature moves into the game — rather than just relying on their very talented MoCap players who do their best to replicate them.

This year, one of the players they were able to get into the building for some motion capture was Zion Williamson, as the Pelicans young star stopped by and hopped in a MoCap suit to throw down dunks for his dunk package in the game.

It’s always a cool process to see how studios get the actual players’ movements into the game, and given Zion is as unique and powerful a dunker as there is in the NBA, having him come by will ensure that full force is on display for players in the game.