Category: News

This week on People’s Party with Talib Kweli, Kweli and Jasmin Leigh are joined by a straight-up legend — The D.O.C. Originally from Dallas, Texas, The D.O.C. found his way to a deal on NWA’s groundbreaking Ruthless Records and exploded onto the scene. His debut album, No One Can Do It Better, produced by Dr. Dre, drew rave reviews and hit number one in three months.

Then tragedy struck. The D.O.C. lost control of his car one night while drunk (which nearly killed him) and left his vocal cords irreparably crushed. This summer a documentary about his life drops featuring superstars like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Too $hort, and Eminem among others. In the lead up to that release, The D.O.C. sat down on Peoples Party with Talib Kweli to talk about his life before and after the crash. He shared his life as a ghostwriter and lyrical coach to rappers like Snoop Dogg as Death Row was on the rise. He also talks about being one of the lyrical architects of Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, which shifted hip-hop’s sound forever.

A few years after Death Row collapsed, The D.O.C. found himself locked up in Texas. Kweli noted that in a previous interview, “You said that being in jail was easier than being in the studio with Death Row at that time.” This led The D.O.C. to reflect on how gang culture and economic greed ruined so much of the original power rap had.

“LA gang culture is a weird thing man,” he notes. “Like it has so much testosterone in it, that it puts you in a place that makes it difficult for you to grow — as a person.”

Reflecting deeper, The D.O.C. noted, “I love where the Dogg is right now. He walks that line so well today. That’s the demonstration I would like these young guys to see — so they could walk that line. That it’s cool to be a real one, but don’t be a real asshole.” Pausing calmly he stated with supreme clarity “We are not our worst enemies. We are our only hope.”

For more of this fascinating interview with The D.O.C. watch People’s Party with Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh.

Jeff Gerstmann, one of the most notable names in video games media, has decided to leave the website he helped create, Giant Bomb. Gerstmann famously started Giant Bomb when he was let go from his previous position at a different website because he refused to change a negative review score he had given to a game. From that point on, Gerstmann became well known for being someone that was never afraid to speak his mind on how he felt about games.

On Monday, Giant Bomb’s website put out a statement that Gerstmann and Giant Bomb have agreed to go separate ways. The website will continue on without him while Gerstmann will seek out new challenges elsewhere. Gerstmann confirmed the news in a tweet and suggested more information about his departure will be available in Tuesday’s episode of the Giant Bombcast.

Starting today, we want to enter a new era of transparency with you, the GB audience. So here’s what you need to know: Giant Bomb and Jeff Gerstmann have agreed to go our separate ways.

We’re not just going to gloss over this kind of heavy-hitting news–it is a big moment. Jeff is a co-founder of Giant Bomb and has been at the heart of the site since it launched in 2008. Whether it’s Quick Looks, live streams, or the Bombcast, you have consumed content that he had a hand in making. Jeff has shaped Giant Bomb in profound ways and he’s also been a key part of bringing on board the voices that have defined the site through its different eras. To this day, Giant Bomb’s influence on the way video games are covered on the internet is still as pervasive as ever, and Jeff remains inseparably attached to that legacy.

Gerstmann first started Giant Bomb back in 2008 alongside many former colleagues of his, such as Alex Navarro, Vinny Caravella, and Brad Shoemaker. These three moved on from Giant Bomb in May of 2021 and with Gerstmann’s departure forthcoming, it will mark the end of an era for the website.

Gerstmann and Giant Bomb’s impact on games media can’t be understated. They found a way to cover video games in a way that was not only entertaining but informative. Everyone will be anxious to see what he has planned for the future of his career as well as what this means for the future of the website as a whole.

Click to download here.

We Podded Ourselves The Whole Gun

This is it. The last episode of the only Sopranos podcast ever made. Load it into a yellow Xterra, push the Nissan out to sea, and set it ablaze for a proper New Jersey Italian Viking funeral. Joining Matt and Vince to discuss “Made In America” and close out the series, the Dennis Eckersly of podcasting, from Defector, David J. Roth.

Where were you when The Sopranos cut to black? Screaming at the TV? Calling your cable company? Remembering 9/11? 11.9 million people watched (there better be just as many people listening to this episode) as Meadow parked, Tony looked up, and Journey implored everyone watching to continue believing. Believe in what, exactly? What was David Chase trying to tell us with that song? Considering he chose “Don’t Stop Believing” just because everyone in the production crew hated it, I think he was trying to say *mouthfarrrrrrt*. A shithead legend.

That’s what a grown-up AJ would do. You don’t like the song at the end of the TV show? You know we’re killing civilians in the Middle East everyday right? And this is how you spend your time? Upset at the song at the end of your favorite TV show? What rough beast yeets towards Bethlehem to be born? As indicated by this final, AJ-centric episode, the world belongs to the AJs now. Be safe and don’t use too many slurp juices on one ape.

It’s been an honor to be a part of such a fun thing that so many people enjoyed. We had a great time making it, and it wouldn’t have been possible without all our guests, cured meats, the decline of the American Empire, classic rock, autotune, HBO, David Beckham, fish and chips, *Borat voice* our wives, Raytheon, New Jersey, George Soros, The Sopranos sound design team, Prozac, track suits, Stevie B, Little Steven, Steve Buscemi, The American Italian Anti-Defamation League, and of course, Stephan Jenkins.

We still want five-star reviews so go write one on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe to Pod Yourself A Gun. The feed might change when we start a new series. If you don’t want to miss out, join the Patreon.

Email us at [email protected]; leave us a voicemail at 415-275-0030

Support the Pod: become a patron at patreon.com/Frotcast and get more bonus content than you could ever want. You will also get new episodes of the Frotcast to hold you over until the next series. Maybe we’ll do a fun name-based incentive like when Vince gave out mob names. Speaking of, here is our last batch, thanks to the following goombas:

Slurp Juice, Velasquez, Quad, 90210, Scarface, The Lisp, The Creek, Blink-182, The Forest, Old Rough n’ Ready, The Spray, The Truth, Snoop, The River, Big D, Deez Nuts, Founding Father, The Virgin, Costello, Pee Wee, Dental Dammit, Jar Jar, The Omelet, The Flu, Double G, Big Stinky Fruit, & Polo.

-Description by Brent Flyberg

Just over an hour before Super Bowl LVII kicked off between the Rams and Bengals, Rodney Harrison dropped a bombshell on the NBC broadcast that L.A. star defensive tackle Aaron Donald was considering retiring after the Super Bowl if the Rams won.

In the months since the Rams Super Bowl win, Donald has not been willing to discuss his future plans, brushing aside questions by choosing to speak instead on the celebration of earning that championship ring. Still, with the NFL Draft now done and mandatory camps beginning, the clock was ticking on Donald to make his decision on next season, as the work to be at peak form for the 2022 season had to begin ASAP. After mulling retirement — and applying pressure to the Rams to pony up to keep his services — Donald is officially back, reworking his deal to stay with the Rams through 2024 on a massive $95 million overall deal that makes him the highest paid non-quarterback in the league on a per-year basis.

Donald threatened to join the likes of Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson in early retirement, as the two Lions greats walked away from the game while still two of the best at their positions at 31 and 30 years old respectively, but the future Hall of Famer will stay with the champs and try to make it back-to-back titles in 2022.

We’ll see is he sticks with the Rams through the end of his new deal, but he is now at least being properly compensated as one of football’s best players (if not the best) and Los Angeles can keep its sensational defensive line intact. Quarterbacks and interior offensive linemen around the league will be disappointed by the news, but the Rams are thrilled to pay up to keep Donald on their team.

The rules are as follows:

@maisie_crompton Seen so many of these videos… here’s my “rules for when I have a baby” ✍🏻👶🏻#pregnancyjourney #rulesformybaby #trending #mumsunder21 ♬ original sound – Maisie

1. Please don’t kiss the baby.

Look, babies are very kissable. But particularly in a COVID-19 reality, it’s easy to see how distressing an unwarranted smooch might be.

Pandemic notwithstanding, one poorly timed peck could mean terrible consequences. “A friend I went to school with had horrendous regular cold sores all of her life because someone kissed her (with a cold sore) as a baby!!” one person commented.

2. No unannounced visitors, for the first few days we want it just to be us.

As Crompton joked, “I really don’t think I’m gonna be up for socializing when a baby has literally just come out of me.”

3. Don’t announce our baby has arrived until we do (on social media or in person).

Cause no one likes spoilers.

4. No photos posted of the baby until we do.

Even though we live in an age of knee-jerk posting, privacy still is a right. Some parents might not dig their newborn’s face being plastered all over the internet.

5. Do not come if you’re sick.

Just … don’t.

6. Wash your hands before holding them.

“Their immune system is probably not gonna be the best, and you’ve probably touched loads of stuff,” Crompton added.

7. Do not ask to see the baby if you haven’t checked up on me during the pregnancy.

Also kind of a goes-without-saying kind of thing.

8. If our baby cries please hand them back to me or their dad.

“I do not wanna watch my baby cry from a distance,” said Crompton.

Crompton’s list was met with some skepticism from others, who doubted whether or not people would actually adhere to her commands.

One commenter even warned that “people might be scared to come near/see the baby eventually so you will miss out on memories made and baby bonding with wider family.”

But for the most part, people were incredibly supportive of her rules. Here are just a few positive comments:

“A massive YES to all of them.”

“Nothing unreasonable at all there.”

“Normalise following boundaries that parents set for being around their newborns. It’s just respect!”

“Honestly as a visiting guest I would feel so much more comfortable being handed this list so I can make sure I’m making the mum most comfortable.”

Having a baby is a beautiful life-changing event. But it’s certainly not without its inherent stresses. There’s nothing wrong with setting limits to make things flow a little more smoothly. Here’s hoping that Maisie—and other parents—find some order in the lovely chaos of parenthood.

When James Corden exits The Late Late Show next year, CBS might not be going the traditional route to replace the late night host. According to a new report, the network is eyeing a “multi-host panel” when Corden ends what will be an eight-year run in 2023. As late night viewers tend to mostly watch clips online the following day, CBS is hoping to tap into the audience who’s going to bed at a reasonable hour.

Via Variety:

People familiar with the matter suggest CBS is mindful of having the new show’s production costs align with the new ways people are watching late-night TV. Producers of the shows often find themselves focusing more intently on feedback from social media users, who pass around clips from the previous evening’s programs and watch them on Twitter or YouTube. In some views, the big late-night shows remains tied to some of TV’s earliest traditions and may not be as relevant to an audience that often watches comedy clips on phones and tablets.

The Late Late Show may also forgo a live band “or other trappings that have come to be expected from the format.” If all of this sounds like CBS doesn’t know what the heck it’s going to do when Corden leaves, that’s also true. Insiders say all of these ideas are being tossed around with nothing set in stone. However, as Variety notes, the multi-panel approach would offer CBS the opportunity to feature several, more diverse personalities rather than having a permanent host, which, traditionally, have been white men à la Corden, Colbert, Kimmel, etc.

Of course, this does raise the important question of how you’re going to fit a whole bunch of hosts inside a fighter jet piloted by Tom Cruise. Maybe some of them could hang onto the wing? Or, no, wait, be strapped underneath them like missiles. BOOM. Nailed it.

(Via Variety)

The rapper-hooper comparison might be a cliche, but cliches are cliches for a reason. It remains as true as ever: Rappers all want to be ballers and ballers all want to rap. Now, more than ever, the crossover (heh) has gotten ridiculous, blurring the lines between the two as former high school hoop stars like NLE Choppa and Quavo pen Billboard hits, and rap’s upper echelon guys get pro hoops co-signs from LeBron James like Lil Durk, sign pro contracts like J. Cole, or host their own in-home rec leagues like Drake.

Intriguingly enough, as more NBA stars dip their toes into rap careers, following in the footsteps of Shaq, Kobe, and Allen Iverson, it’s a little rarer to see ball players get serious about their rhymes. Of course, there’s Damian Lillard, who’s three albums deep into his career as Dame D.O.L.L.A., but for the most part, the current generation of NBA talent has yet to commit. Maybe they just need a little encouragement, and that’s where Milwaukee native/LA transplant DC The Don steps in.

The 6’7 rising rap star is best known for viral tracks like “Worst Day” and “Walk Thru,” but he’s probably just as well-known for his first song “Everything 1K” appearing in Big Baller Brand’s first sneaker commercial. That’s because he was a former Chino Hills High teammate of Lonzo Ball — another aspiring rhyme purveyor currently playing in the NBA — and his brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo. Obviously, DC went the other way, and so he’s willing to lend some of his expertise to rating NBA stars’ rap bars. Check out the video above.

Mondays, am I right? You never know what life is going to throw at you on Garfield’s least favorite day. It could be an early morning meeting with the boss before you’ve even had a chance to drink your coffee, it could be having to catch up on studying after spending all weekend in a drunken haze, or it could be a cow causing a traffic jam.

“Sky 5 was flying over the moments when cowboys and emergency crews wrangled a cow that got loose on a busy Oklahoma City highway,” the KOCO 5 News Twitter account tweeted this morning. The video begins with two trucks surrounding the cow, but the crafty bovine escapes the makeshift encampment and continues to run. As the helicopter continues to follow the cow from above, a man in a cowboy hat (Benedict Cumberbatch?) arrives on horseback and lassos the farm animal. “Get him, get him, get him, stay on him, stay on him, YES,” a voice says as the cow is slowed down.

Hopefully the drivers steered out of the way of the (first) cow, which are best herd from afar, not seen on the road. The steaks were high. OK, I’m done. I wouldn’t bullsh*t you.

You can (and should) watch the runaway cow video below.

(Via Mediaite)

The Los Angeles Lakers introduced Darvin Ham as their new head coach on Monday afternoon, and Russell Westbrook — who was in the room watching Ham’s presser — was unsurprisingly a major topic.

In recent months the expectation has shifted from the Lakers looking to trade Westbrook to them keeping him through next season so as not to have to give up a future first round pick just to move on from him. That, of course, means something pretty significant has to change next year based on how poorly this season went and Westbrook voicing his frustrations with Frank Vogel and the previous coaching staff’s usage of him in his postseason exit interview.

Ham was asked about how he felt Westbrook fit into his plans and made clear that he still believes in Russ, while also noting that he’s going to be asking for buy-in from Westbrook (and LeBron and Anthony Davis) with regards to sharing the load on both ends of the floor.

It’s not a surprising comment from Ham given the reporting that came out during the search that indicated the next coach would have to sell the Lakers on a plan to turn things around without Russ being traded. Still, it’s clear that Ham does recognize that a considerable portion of the Lakers problem a year ago was commitment on the defensive end and that he’ll need the full team to buy-in, led by its stars, for this to work. That’s not a guarantee, but it’s about the only path forward with Westbrook on the roster and Lakers fans can take some solace in the fact that Ham seems to understand what is needed and have a plan in place to try and make the most of the group — which will need reinforcements in free agency to fill out the roster.

The real question is whether that plan comes to life, and that’ll be incumbent on Westbrook and the rest.

Nurse manager Katherine Quirk was following the news about the national baby formula shortage and growing more and more concerned. She saw stories of parents arriving at stores to find formula shelves empty. People with babies who have specific dietary restrictions unable to find the brand or formulation they need. Caregivers desperate to find formula to feed their babies. The U.S. formula shortage has grown into a full-blown, genuine crisis.

It’s been more than a decade since the mom of three fed babies of her own, but the magnitude of the problem hit her, both from the news and in Quirk’s personal circle.

“I’m in many local ‘mom’ Facebook groups and I saw post after post about the need for formula and the lack of availability,” Quirk tells Upworthy. She decided she wanted to do something to help.

In early 2021, Quirk and her husband had organized a Facebook group that helped thousands of senior citizens find COVID-19 vaccine appointments in the Parkland, Florida area, so she knew social media could be a powerful tool to crowdsource information and get it out to a community.

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She searched for formula-finding groups on Facebook, but most were very large and she didn’t find any specific to her area. So she decided to start the South Florida Baby Formula Info Group on May 4, 2022, to help local parents and caregivers find formula locally.

“I wanted to provide a group, a kind of one-stop shop, where formula could be given to individuals who needed it, as well as providing information about local stores and online availability,” she says. “Facebook was the best choice as the group allows a consolidation of information as well as a platform to get information out quickly to the public.”

Quirk says the blueprint from their COVID-19 vaccine group had worked really well, so she basically just replicated it. The formula-finding group has now grown to more than 800 members who share specific formula needs and local resources. Quirk says the group has been a positive, helpful and resourceful tool during a time when families are experiencing enormous stress.

“The overall vibe is very positive,” she says. “Moms helping other moms. Caregivers lending a hand and offering up unused formula to a mom who has a need. Exchanges happening between parents if perhaps a sample was received that is not needed.”

She says community members will walk into a store and share a photo of baby formula availability to help the parents who can’t drive all over South Florida to find what they need.

People use the South Florida Baby Formula Info Group to help parents and caregivers find local formula supplies. Katherine Quirk/Facebook

“We have individuals in the group who are very skilled at checking online availability and alerting when baby formula becomes in stock online,” she says. The group also has people who “keep a protective eye on the community.”

Quirk says anyone can start a similar Facebook group for their local area, for formula-finding or any need that arises in a community.

“If you see a need in your community for it, start it,” she says. “When the community needs help, there is no better place than social media. Start a group, share it with those you know, ask your friends to share, share in other groups if it’s an option.”

“It takes some time and effort to monitor and grow a Facebook group,” says Quirk, but she manages it as a mom with a career. “If it helps even one person then it’s worth it,” she says.

“Look at your community, see where the need is and help in any way possible,” says Quirk. ”Keep things positive, keep politics out and focus on what’s important: your mission and goal.”

Here’s to people helping people in times of need, and to the tools and platforms that make such support possible.