Category: News

The wait for the second edition of Pharrell’s Something In The Water Festival took a bit longer following its debut in 2019. In 2020 and 2021, the coronavirus pandemic put consecutive delays on the showcase, making 2022 the year that it would hopefully make its grand return. The excitement behind SITW was absolutely warranted. Its inaugural showcase was a lively two-day presentation (the first day was nixed because of weather) that brought forth the best talent that the music industry and Pharrell’s hometown of Virginia Beach and the state as a whole had to offer. Jay-Z, SZA, Pharrell, Travis Scott, ASAP Ferg, Missy Elliott, Jhene Aiko, Rosalia, Anderson .Paak, Usher, Busta Rhynes, Leikeli47, DRAM, and Pusha T were just some of the artists I was fortunate enough to see back in 2019.

When the second SITW festival was announced earlier this year, it was clear that some changes were in order. Its venue changed from the coastal beauty of Virginia Beach to the city life of Washington D.C. This was due to Pharrell’s frustrations with how his hometown handled the murder of his cousin, Donovan Lynch, who was killed by a police officer who did not have their body camera turned on. Seeing that this year’s Something In The Water would take place within six blocks in Washington D.C., it was clear that the atmosphere would be different this time – and it certainly was.

With the Virginia Beach edition of Something In The Water, it was clear that Pharrell was inviting us into his home. You could sit on whatever furniture you liked and you were free to grab whatever you wanted from the cabinets. We were welcomed and treated to the best hospitality that the 757 could offer. While D.C. is still a part of the DMV area, this year’s edition of Something In The Water didn’t have that same feeling. This isn’t a knock on the hospitality that D.C. offered as the city also welcomed festivalgoers (and the entire festival itself) with open arms. The showcase just felt like it was crammed into the country’s capital, and to a certain extent, it quite literally was.

Logistically, there were some flaws throughout the weekend. The Sun stage, the festival’s main stage, and the Earth stage were placed too close to each other, making it hard to clearly hear a respective stage depending on where you stood. In total, the three performance stages as well as stands for food, drinks, merch, and more were in close proximity to each other. Long lines for these stands spilled into walking traffic, causing heavy congestion during peak hours. Day two of SITW is where this congestion was felt the most as it caused problems for many on Saturday evening. It began during Snoh Aalegra and Lil Uzi Vert’s sets, and it only worsened as Pharrell took the stage for his star-studded performance. Multiple fans required medical attention, seemingly more so than any other point during the weekend, and reports of overcrowding arrived as some fans revealed they were not allowed to re-enter festival grounds despite having a valid wristband. Seemingly enough, things appeared to be much calmer on day 3 by the main stage (from my point of view at least) as Denzel Curry, Teyana Taylor (and Junie), Pusha T, 21 Savage, and Tyler The Creator concluded the event.

There’s no doubt that this year’s Something In The Water festival was less spacious than the first iteration which brought in 35,000 people. With that in mind, one would think that the attendance count would be around that number, but, during his near-two-hour set on Saturday, Pharrell boldly proclaimed that 50,000 people made their way to Washington D.C.’s downtown area for the showcase. In a post-Astrowold festival world, there are still some similarities and some noticeable differences in how artists handle these big performances. They’re much more willing to pause their sets to allow fans to receive medical attention as we saw during performances from Denzel Curry (who asked that everyone in the crowd be given water), Teyana Taylor, Pharrell, and others. However, the mosh-pitting that often causes some to be put in situations that result in needing medical attention is still alive and well, as we’ve seen through many festivals in the last seven months. With that seeming like something that will remain a festival staple going forward, it’s absolutely essential to prioritize fans’ safety in as many ways as possible.

Despite these negatives, there were plenty of highs from the 2022 SITW festival thanks to some strong performances from artists on the bill. Lil Baby was flashy and charismatic as ever as he ran through hits, B-side records, and new tracks from his discography. Usher reminded the world why he’s one of the best R&B has ever produced with a lengthy set that was more than impressive despite some of his fan-favorite songs not getting stage time. Chloe X Halle showed off their vocals for a great set that was unfortunately shortened due to flight issues they had beforehand. Lil Uzi Vert delivered an out-of-this-world experience with an equally otherworldly hairdo. Pusha T showed off his self-placed crown as hip-hop’s best during an extremely confident set. Teyana Taylor brilliantly dance and sang her way through her set while her daughter Junie joined the stage and proved that she is very much her mother’s daughter. Tyler The Creator closed day three of the festival with a lengthy appearance that reminded the world why he is one of today’s best artists, no matter the genre.

Last but not least, Pharrell’s own performance was a memorable aspect of the weekend. It was highlighted by a Clipse reunion as Pusha T and his brother Malice had not performed in over a decade. Their brief time on stage presented classics like “Grindin” and “Mr. Me Too.” Justin Timberlake also brought out his classics – and some interesting dance moves – while T.I. delivered a set of his own that featured an appearance from his son Domani. N.O.R.E. even checked in too, and through it all, Pharrell made time to perform classics from his artist and production discography.

Pharrell’s Something In The Water was created to highlight Black talent from his home state of Virginia as well as the surrounding DMV area. It’s a grand showcase to display the uniqueness of our culture and that “something” that is in our water. By all means, Pharrell accomplished that, even outside of music, through vendors, activations, off-site events, and more. He even gave back to the community and cleared the student debt of five young adults at an NAACP panel. Maybe D.C. will now be the festival’s permanent home or maybe it will return to that coastal beauty of Virginia where fans can experience the Something In The Water that over 35,000 people fell in love with back in 2019. The thing is, with the D.C. edition, the latter is possible to achieve. However, there is a lot of fine-tuning that needs to be done in order to restore that beauty. Once that happens, Something In The Water will return to being one of the great festivals that the music world has to offer.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Released in April, Pusha T’s It’s Almost Dry marked the first time the Viriginia Beach rapper claimed a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. With appearance from Kanye West, Jay-Z, Pharrell, Lil Uzi Vert, Kid Cudi, and others, the album is yet another masterful display of King Push’s supreme lyricism. He holds nothing back, takes a well-deserved parade around the sun, and many rap critics agree that it’s one of the best hip-hop albums of 2022 so far. And who’s a more decorated rap critic than superstar quarterback Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Wait…hold up, what?! That’s right folks, the seven-time Super Bowl champion says that It’s Almost Dry is not just his favorite rap album of the year, it’s the “Album of the year,” period.

Brady, who is about to launch his new “Brady brand” of athleisure wear this week, posted a short ad spot on his Twitter running through a closed off street set to Pusha T’s “Dreamin Of The Past.” As he speeds up the city street, the track plays and Brady talks about his shirt and shorts, saying “this stuff’s pretty light… then again it helps me be the fastest quarterback in the game.” Which is clearly a joke, because one of the things Brady isn’t known for is his legs. He commented on the tweet saying, “You guys know I have 1,124 career rushing yards right? No accident. Brady brand RUN is available Thursday.” Well the clip caught the attention of Push, who quote retweeted it saying, “Wow, Tom Brady really listening to the rap album of the year!!! #ItsAlmostDry #DreamingOfThePast !! Check him out…”

Gotta love Push’s unapologetic gloat. But Brady took the bait and to the rapper who name-checked him in the song (“Walk it down like Brady, gets better with time,”) he tweeted back saying, “Album of the year!”

No word yet on whether Brady will be launching a rap blog following the release of his clothing line but you can check out his unabashed cosign above.

Rob Gronkowski is going to once again hang up his cleats, as the future Hall of Fame tight end announced on his social media channels on Tuesday that he was retiring from the NFL for the second time.

Gronkowski previously retired after the 2018 NFL season, sitting out 2019 until he got the call from Tom Brady to join him in Tampa Bay, an offer he couldn’t refuse. With the Bucs, Gronk won another Super Bowl title and added 100 catches, 1,425 yards, and 13 touchdowns to his already legendary stat line for his career. The 33-year-old walks away, at least for now, with 621 catches for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns, which are the 12th most TD receptions of any player in NFL history.

Unsurprisingly, the reaction to Gronkowski’s latest retirement was met with similar skepticism to his previous announcement that he was done for good, as even his agent Drew Rosenhaus noted that it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Gronk returns to the Bucs at some point this season if Brady puts out the call.

Given the injuries he’s dealt with over his career, it’s hard to fault Gronk for not wanting to go through another full season and we’ll have to wait and see if he’s retired for good or if he’ll parachute in late in the year to help Brady and the Bucs chase another ring. He’s not one to suddenly fall out of football shape, but his days of playing full seasons certainly seem to be done. If this is it for Gronk on the football field, the next stop will be Canton, Ohio.

When HBO’s Winning Time series about the Los Angeles Lakers came out, just about every person associated with the team disavowed it, criticizing it for turning people into caricatures and exaggerating stories for entertainment value — which is part of the allure of the show, since it’s not meant to be a documentary.

There was also the fact that many of the subjects of that show had their own documentaries in the works, with Magic Johnson having an Apple TV+ series coming out and Jeanie Buss putting together a 10-part series with Hulu. The Hulu doc, titled Legacy: The True Story of the L.A. Lakers, is set to release this summer (a firm date is still TBD) and on Tuesday they dropped the first extended teaser trailer, showing off the variety of subjects interviewed, from those that played and coached for the Lakers like LeBron, Shaq, Kareem, Pat Riley, Jerry West, and Phil Jackson, to the entire Buss family, with Mark Cuban teasing the Buss family drama as “real life Succession.”

Given the production is overseen by Jeanie Buss, it’ll be interesting to see how much they dive into the battle among the Buss children after Dr. Jerry Buss’ death for control of the Lakers. That would probably be one of the most interesting and potentially revealing things this doc could provide as it’s not something that has been publicly discussed much by the Buss family, but also it seems fair to wonder how polished they’ll make it look for the documentary. It’ll be interesting to see what the appetite for the latest marathon sports documentary is from fans, but ultimately that’s up to how good the stories are in it and how much new information they provide.

Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, much of the focus has rested upon Russia’s difficulty (which is much greater than they expected) in taking full hold of the country. And that’s for good reason, considering that the fed-up wives of Vladimir Putin’s presumably missing troops are demanding answers on their whereabouts, which tells the world a lot about how disastrously this is unfolding and how much resistance the Ukraine people continue to put up. Meanwhile, we’re also hearing about the Putin continuing to be so vain that he’s apparently trying to “embalm himself” with Botox, all while the Ukrainian people suffer.

To date, at least 4 million Ukrainians have become refugees since the start of the war (with at least 7 million more displaced while remaining within Ukraine). Throughout, President Zelensky has stood firm with his people (and after refusing a ticket out of the country), and on World Refugee Day, UNHCR ambassador Ben Stiller toured destroyed areas of Irpin (in Kyiv). He also met with Zelensky, who the Severance producer referred to as “my hero” in this Bloomberg Quicktakes video clip.

Zelensky’s official government website revealed how Stiller spoke with occupation survivors, and here’s part of his conversation with Stiller:

Stiller was accompanied by UNHCR representative in Ukraine Karolina Lindholm Billing, who accompanied the Hollywood actor as he walked through ruined residential areas of Irpin, where they talked to people who survived the occupation.

“It’s one thing to see this destruction on TV or on social networks. Another thing is to see it all with your own eyes. That’s a lot more shocking,” Stiller told Zelensky. “What you saw in Irpin is definitely dreadful. But it is even worse to just imagine what is happening in the settlements that are still under temporary occupation in the east,” Zelensky said in response.

Before his arrival in Ukraine, Stiller also visited with the country’s refugees in Poland, and CBS News notes that Angelina Jolie recently visited the Ukrainian visit of Lviv to speak with displace children who survived a Russian attack on a train station. Zelensky has issued gratitude to both, and looking forward, this conflict has passed 100 days with no signs of ending anytime soon.

(Via The Office Of The President Of Ukraine & CBS News)

Through two seasons of I Think You Should Leave, Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin have seen a number of impressive guests bring their scripts to life with absurd flair. That includes Robinson himself upping the ante on any number of scenes that have him screaming like a lunatic at one point or another. But as it turns out, all that yelling and absurdity is almost entirely coming from the script.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the ITYSL creators shared that they don’t often let their actors go off-script and improvise. Unless they’re one of the men responsible for Mr. Show. Bob Odenkirk, who appeared in a sketch called “Diner Wink” in Season 2, is one of the few characters that’s been allowed to improvise.

The sketch, which you can watch above, is fairly standard I Think You Should Leave fare at this point: a small and convenient lie gets taken way too far by someone who continues to double down on the concept until it skews so far from reality there’s no coming back.

In this case, it’s Odenkirk as a lonely diner patron.

There’s almost no improvisation, so every actor commits to the absurdity and off-kilter dialogue they’re provided. One exception was the sketch comedy legend from “Mr. Show,” which was a major influence on Robinson and Kanin. In his sketch, Odenkirk plays a lonely guy in a diner booth next to a father (Robinson) and his daughter who gets recruited by Robinson to help sell an innocent dad lie about why they can’t get ice cream. Naturally, the weird lonely guy takes the lie too far.

“Bob did improvise a bunch at the end of that sketch,” Robinson says. “It was all really funny, and I feel like it elevated the sketch off of what was on the page a lot.”

So it turns out “I don’t live in a hotel” was probably an improv line, which is pretty great because it’s one that stuck with people the most from the sketch. The rest of the Times piece is certainly worth reading, as Robinson doesn’t give many interviews in the first place. Hearing a bit more about the way he and Kanin write will only make you more excited about Season 3.

[LA Times]

Although his time in the spotlight was relatively short, XXXTentacion developed an enthusiastic fanbase whose attachment to the controversial late rapper has remained intense, even four years after his death. It’s so intense, in fact, that several of them apparently staged an unplanned meetup at his gravesite for the fourth anniversary of his death as “dozens” of fans gathered at the mausoleum in South Florida on Saturday, many of them reportedly traveling across the country to do so, according to X’s mom Cleopatra Bernard via TMZ.

Some of the fans drove to Florida from Los Angeles and Virginia, arriving as early as 9 AM, and many stayed until 4 PM, when Bernard went to open the mausoleum. She believes several hundred fans visited, playing the rapper’s music and showing off their love for him via merch and replicas of his tattoos. According to TMZ, XXXTentacion’s closest friends and family held a candlelight vigil attended by a pair of fans who’d driven cross country.

Despite his death, fans have received a wealth of new content featuring the controversial figure this year. A documentary, Look At Me: XXXTentacion was released to Hulu last month, accompanied by a new album that featured the Kanye West collaboration “True Love.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly four months ago, more than 13 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland. Some cities, such as Mariupol, have been completely destroyed—”reduced to a wasteland littered with bodies,” according to an explainer in Reuters—and may be uninhabitable for the foreseeable future.

Many families fled early in the war, when the danger became clear. But not everyone understood why they were leaving.

Children are befuddled by war, as they should be. It is nonsensical, illogical and unbelievable to think that you must leave your home and move to a country far away because a grown-up who is supposed to be a leader is trying to blow up your house. People with intellectual disabilities may also not understand a sudden uprooting, especially when the reason is something even fully abled adults struggle to make sense of.

When Liana Rohozhyn’s home in Mariupol was destroyed earlier in the war, she and her family were forced to flee. Her son Misha, a nonverbal 19-year-old with Down syndrome, was understandably distressed about having to leave Ukraine. To comfort him through the long journey across Europe to safety, Liana told Misha they were going on a trip to find the champion wrestler, John Cena.

It was a fictional story made up by a desperate mother in a dire situation. As a parent, you do what you have to do to keep your children safe. Little did Liana know that John Cena would not only see her family’s story, but go out of his way to provide a measure of comfort during a tragic and disorienting time.

Cena just happened to be in Europe when he read about the story of how Liana had motivated Misha with the hope of meeting him. Being only an hour’s flight away, Cena’s immediate response was, “We’re going.”

The WWE star met the family near Amsterdam and spent a “special” afternoon “building blocks and eating cake.”

He shared kind words about Misha and his mother.

“Misha’s ability to embrace persistence, that’s extraordinary,” he said, adding that Misha and Liana are “two great examples of how persistence can lead to joy, even through the toughest of times.”

After spending the day with the family and gifting Misha a load of WWE gear, Cena told the young man, “This was a wonderful adventure in which I got to meet a wonderful new friend. Thank you for giving me strength.”

Liana told him he had “a big heart.”

Watch:

The sweet story has touched the hearts of people the world over, with people sharing praise for Cena and for Misha’s mother.

“There are several things I find remarkable about this interaction,” wrote commenter Emily Clauson on YouTube. “How this man talks to Misha softly, with respect and love. He is not putting on a performance. He isn’t acting ‘compassionate’ for the cameras. He is connecting with a human being. They were just two guys hanging out enjoying their day. He spoke to him as an equal. I find that so admirable.”

“I’m from Ukraine and it brought me to tears!” wrote another commenter. “We Ukrainians really appreciate this support from all over the world, we need it so much at these dark times! as they say, in dark times you can see light people. Thanks for standing we Ukraine, would never expect to hear about so many people with big hearts. ❤️🇺🇦”

“I love how much he embraces Misha’s mom,” wrote another. “A lot of news reports on this story just seem to forget about how strong she is. This man is amazing!”

“Misha’s mom is an amazing woman. She kept her son going to get out. I wish them well and thank you John Cena for responding,” wrote another.

This is not Cena’s first trip to make someone’s dreams come true. According to SB Nation, he has granted more than 650 wishes through Make-A-Wish since 2004, the most on record.

Cena himself shared that Misha and Liana define his motto, “Never Give Up,” and thanked the Wall Street Journal and World Wrestling Entertainment for pulling it all together.

u201cWhat a wonderful way to spend a Saturday. Misha and his mother, Liana define #NeverGiveUp. nnThank you to the @WSJ and @WWE who helped make this special visit possible.u201d

— John Cena (@John Cena)
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Thank you, John Cena, for showing us what the best of humanity can look like.

Therapy can be intimidating for many people, especially in communities of color, where therapy and mental health is stigmatized. This alone can delay or even cause someone to avoid a diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Often, family members of individuals with a mental health condition just learn to adjust because addressing it can be a difficult, if not fruitless task. Dr. Antionette Edmonds, who also goes by Dr. Toni and “the therapist next door,” is trying to change perspectives on therapy by using humor mixed with real-life situations to show what happens behind the scenes. Her often hilarious encounters with imaginary clients gives prospective clients a chance to see that therapists are real people and are not going to judge what you come into the therapy room to discuss.

Edmonds doesn’t just talk about what clients experience, she also brings humor to what happens when clients aren’t in the room. In one video she records herself pretending to cry on the phone with her partner while a TikTok sound plays in the background saying, “I’m just literally on the verge of a mental breakdown.” She quickly hangs up the phone and puts away the tissue before going to seemingly greet her next client. Edmonds doesn’t shy away from the hard topics, but she does it in such a funny way that it remains relatable and familiarly human.

@antionettethegirlnexdoor

And then we get our fucking asses up and work 😫 #blacktherapistsoftiktok #therealtherapistsoftiktok #tiktoktherapy

Edmonds often breaks out her dance moves to participate in TikTok trends, reminding folks that just because someone has the occupation of a therapist doesn’t mean they can’t let their hair down. Her twerking skills are up on legendary, as Lizzo would say, but while she’s grooving to the beat, you can bet that she has an informational message typed out on the screen.

@antionettethegirlnexdoor

Bitch, if I had my leggings on it would have been over for you #tiktoktherapy #blacktherapistsoftiktok #therapyhumor

Edmonds achieves a unique balance of professional, informative and hilarious. Normalizing therapy for everyone should be promoted more, but especially in communities of color where increased stigma around therapy keeps people from seeking help. Access to culturally competent affordable mental health care is also a barrier for some seeking services, as communities of color are often underinsured or uninsured.

Culturally in Black, Hispanic and Asian communities, mental health issues are stigmatized by older generations, so kudos therapists like Edmonds who work to bring normalcy to therapy to combat the cultural narrative. While Edmonds doesn’t only see clients of color, her humor in approaching situations that would likely occur working with clients from an urban neighborhood hopefully sparks more interest in seeking therapy. One commenter said, “I don’t find therapists like this on Psychology Today,” complete with a defeated emoji, to which Edmonds replied, “We on there, Psychology Today just keep us on page 36 and not on the first 5 pages.” She finished her comment with several crying laughing emojis.

@antionettethegirlnexdoor

Yes, because the 1st of the month will be here soon and we need to make sure he pays the rent #blacktherapistoftiktok #therealtherapistsoftiktok

In another video a commenter said, “I wish you were my therapist,” while someone else commented “Listen!!! Imma need a session with you!” It’s clear that her approach to incorporating her profession into her social media use is changing minds about what to expect from therapy and therapists. Therapists don’t have to be cardigan wearing people who do no wrong, they can also be hilariously human.

If you’re in South Florida, you’re in luck because that’s where her practice is located. Unlike many therapists, as Edmonds confirms in one of her videos, she also weekend office hours available. Hopefully this “therapist next door” keeps dancing and laughing her way through normalizing therapy for everyone.

It’s no secret that some people born without female anatomy may be a bit unfamiliar with what goes into having a uterus. Sometimes eyes are rolled about the uninformed, but when someone goes out of their way to educate themselves so they can be a better partner in the future, it’s definitely worth celebrating. TikTok creator Darius Covington seeks out information that is otherwise kept to the owners of uteruses and he does it in the most respectful and genuine way. It’s honestly quite refreshing.

Covington asks his followers (which are mostly women) things he should learn about the female experience. His followers do not disappoint. He’s gotten requests about researching a speculum to the correct way to insert an IUD. Covington has searched it all and even tried drinking from a menstrual cup that he blindly picked up at the store. His reaction to reading the directions after placing the cup to his lips will have you in stitches.

@thedariuscovington

#answer to @spidermark790 Just a self reminder as I complain about my allergies 😭😭😂 #fyp #foryoupage #funny #fail #failarmy #trending #relabtable

The best part about Covington’s videos is how dedicated he is to getting the information correct and making sure to acknowledge his commenters’ requests and explanations. When learning about the process a body goes through to give birth, he bewilderingly looks at the camera and says, “You choose to go through this process more than once, sometimes more than twice.” It’s the honest reactions and genuine curiosity that keep people coming back.

@thedariuscovington

Reply to @amelia_arielle thanks amelia 😭#fyp #foryoupage #funny #fail #relatable #trending #failarmy #greenscreen

While the brave creator is not even close to having children of his own, it’s clear he is training to be a good father to daughters and a good partner to his future wife. Keep educating yourself Darius! We love to see it.