Category: News

Jaylen Brown is on his way to the first NBA Finals of his career, as the Celtics finally broke through the Eastern Conference Finals ceiling on their fourth visit in the six years Brown has been on the roster, as he has developed into the Celtics second star alongside Jayson Tatum.

The former No. 3 overall pick has steadily improved over the course of his career and is now among the best two-way wings in the NBA, and as he prepares for an increased profile off of a Finals run, he’s making an off-court move to capitalize. TMZ reports Brown has signed with Kanye West’s Donda Sports, although it’s not abundantly clear what the exact relationship will be between the budding agency and the NBA star. Brown is currently on the second year of a four-year, $106 million deal with the Celtics that was negotiated by agent Jason Glushon.

Brown joins Aaron Donald with Donda Sports, as the NFL star announced his partnership with the agency this week — although he noted it was a partnership focused on off the field endorsements and ventures. Whether Brown is leaving Glushon Sports Management in total for Donda Sports or if he is joining them, like Donald, for off-field management remains to be seen, but either way it’s clear he’s getting ready to expand his brand with a new agency.

Over the past year, New York singer Capella Grey’s 2021 single “Gyalis” has become a slow-burning, fan-favorite hit, rising to No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and receiving a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

It doesn’t look like the song will run out of gas anytime soon; after rising star Chloe offered her own take on the song for Instagram, today, Grey officially added her verse to a sultry “shemix” of the hit single, adding a feminine perspective to Grey’s indecisive single.

Responding to the wishy-washy vibe of the song’s original verse, Chloe flips the script, noting that she too has plenty of options when it comes to romance. Rather than putting up with a reluctant, possibly unfaithful paramour, she dismisses his affections to return to the streets. “I ain’t the bitch that you can lie to,” she asserts. “I ain’t the bitch you gonna cry to.”

Chloe’s covers have been one of the main drivers behind her rise to solo stardom, as she takes on versions of songs like Kanye West’s “24,” Minnie Riperton’s “Loving You,” and more. When she’s not performing covers, she has been using her social media to preview new songs from her upcoming solo debut album, Chloe.

Check out the “shemix” of “Gyalis” above.

It was revealed a few days ago that BTS had some significant plans to close out the month: They would be heading to the White House to meet with Joe Biden and discuss “Asian inclusion and representation,” “anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination which have become more prominent issues in recent years,” and “the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world.”

Well, the day has come and the White House press corps seemed pretty thrilled about it.

At a press briefing today, BTS walked into the room, led by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and immediately, every phone in the room was raised to get a photo or picture. Jean-Pierre observed, “So much excitement!”

After an introduction, the band spoke briefly, in both English and Korean. RM started, “Hi, we’re BTS, and it is a great honor to be invited to the White House today to discuss the important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion, and diversity.” Each other member took a turn at the mic, speaking in Korean before RM concluded, “And last, we thank President Biden and The White House for giving this important opportunity to speak about the important causes, remind ourselves of what we can do as artists. Once again, thank you very much.”

Watch BTS’ full press briefing above.

After experiencing a rough couple of months thanks to bleeding subscribers, a drop in share prices, and a lawsuit because of those two things, Netflix kicked off the holiday weekend by dropping its highly anticipated (and very expensive) fourth season of its flagship series. To the surprise of no one, Stranger Things 4 went over like gangbusters.

In a much-needed win, the supernatural series completely shattered premiere weekend records at the streamer as the fourth season proved to be a global hit. “Stranger Things 4 has been running up that hill since Friday, becoming the biggest premiere weekend ever for an English language TV show on Netflix with 286.79 million hours viewed globally!” Netflix tweeted on Tuesday. “It also skyrocketed to the 001 spot in 83 countries — another premiere weekend record!”

As IndieWire notes, Stranger Things 4‘s viewing hours are a massive increase over the previous premiere weekend champ: Bridgerton Season 2, which only (“only”) had 193 million hours. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the runtime for Stranger Things 4 episodes are crazy long. Most episodes are around 75 minutes long, with the Part 1 finale coming in around two hours.

The overstuffed runtimes were a persistent criticism during early reviews of Stranger Things 4, but clearly, they’re not stopping Netflix subscribers from binge-watching the new season. As for where the heck they’re finding the time, we have no idea. You practically need a week off of work to watch all of them.

Stranger Things 4 Part 1 is currently streaming on Netflix.

(Via IndieWire)

Showtime’s long-awaited reboot of American Gigolo is finally almost here, despite some on-set drama that recently made headlines. The 10-episode adaptation follows Jon Bernthal as male escort Julian Kaye, originally played by Richard Gere in the 1980 film. Kaye is released from prison after a wrongful conviction.

Bernthal, who is known for his role as the Punisher, originally thought he was the “wrong guy” for the show. But by the looks of the trailer, he seems to have figured out how to be the right guy! The cast also includes Gretchen Mol, Rosie O’Donnell, Lizzie Brocher, Wayne Brady, and Leland Orser.

Here is the official synopsis:

American Gigolo, a present-day reimagining of the iconic 1980 film, follows Julian Kaye (Jon Bernthal) after his wrongful conviction release from 15 years in prison as he navigates his complicated relationships with his former lover Michelle (Gretchen Mol), his troubled mother, and the people who betrayed him. While Julian struggles to reconcile the escort he was in the past and the man he is today, Detective Sunday (Rosie O’Donnell) seeks the truth about the murder that sent Julian to prison all those years ago, unearthing a much larger conspiracy along the way.

There is no release date set yet, though we can assume it will likely drop sometime this year. Check out the trailer above.

The NRA has never seemed to care much about public perception. Back in 1999, just 10 days after the tragic massacre at Colorado’s Columbine High School, the gun rights group went ahead and held a previously planned event in Denver, less than 15 miles from where 13 people had just been needlessly murdered, and more than 20 others were injured.

Similarly, the NRA forged ahead with its planned annual meeting in Houston, Texas over the holiday weekend, despite the fact that the state was still reeling from last week’s attack on Robb Elementary School—the deadliest school shooting in a decade. On Sunday, CNN’s Jim Acosta was joined by Judge Philip Journey, an NRA Board Member, and immediately took him to task for holding a pro-gun event in the wake of such a horrific tragedy—and promoting a jovial atmosphere. To make his point, Acosta pointed to the fact that former president Donald Trump danced his way offstage… which turned into its own sort of Abbott and Costello routine:

Acosta: Your group is holding its convention in Houston, where you are right now, just a few days after the massacre in Uvalde. We saw Donald Trump dancing on stage at the end of his remarks.

Journey: He was not! I was there; he was not dancing. Give me a break.

Acosta: How is any of this at all appropriate? We’re showing [him] onstage right now. He’s doing a little jig there. People are waving their NRA hats and so on. It’s this celebratory atmosphere right after a mass shooting where all of these kids are gunned down. How is that appropriate?

Journey: I think that what you’re doing is just telling part of the story there. Because at the beginning of his speech, he did do a very memorable memorial for the victims.

This, by the way, was that “very memorable memorial” that Trump offered:

Spoiler alert: He also did indeed dance. Watch for yourselves above (around the 1:45 mark) and below.

As the NBA Draft draws ever closer, the rumblings about draft night moves will only pick up steam. Those rumors involve both picks and veterans that could be on the move, particularly with a number of teams believing they’re close to contender status looking to add immediate help to their roster.

There are a few teams in particular that figure to be the most active this summer in terms of making trades to try and upgrade their roster (or simply shuffle the deck and try something new). The Atlanta Hawks apparently are willing to discuss anyone not named Trae Young in a trade, as Travis Schlenk admitted earlier in the season that running it back last summer was a mistake. The Portland Trail Blazers sit at No. 7 in the draft, with the expectation that they will look to move that pick for a veteran contributor to aid in what they hope is a quick bounceback next year with Damian Lillard back at full strength. Finally, the Utah Jazz are on the radar as the team most likely to try and flip one of its stars, as the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert dynamic is always under a microscope, particularly after another first round exit.

The latter of those two teams are the subject of the latest rumblings from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, who reports the Jazz and Blazers are among those hoping the Raptors will be willing to engage on talks about OG Anunoby this summer. Fischer notes that some around the league believe Anunoby may feel a bit like the odd man out with Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and even rookie Scottie Barnes taking larger offensive roles than him, and while he has not pushed for a trade, teams like Portland and Utah are hoping Toronto may be willing to discuss a deal after having him apparently off limits at the deadline.

However, Fischer notes the asking price will be extremely high if the Raptors were to entertain talks, which Portland may struggle to match even with the No. 7 pick, and while Utah has the type of center Toronto may covet in Gobert, the issue is the gulf of $20 million in salary between Gobert and Anunoby that might price the Raptors out of a potential deal.

Anunoby’s development has been remarkable as the latest success story of the Raptors, but at some point Toronto may feel they have to move on from one of their talented wings to gain more floor balance. If that happens, a number of teams around the league would come calling, not just Utah and Portland.

In addition to it being the month that brings us one step closer to the official start of summer, May also stands as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. It’s a national celebration that was put in place by the government to celebrate those of Asian and Pacific Islander descent every May since 1990. In terms of the music industry, Asia and the Pacific Islands have produced countless notable artists. BTS, Jhene Aiko, Saweetie, Rina Sawayama, HER, Japanese Breakfast, Rich Brian and the 88 Rising collective, and many more are currently making waves in the US, showing that both artists coming directly from Asia and the Pacific Islands, or American artists of that heritage, are some of the brightest and most exciting in all of music.

Within the R&B world, there are two newcomers that are working to get their name out to the masses. Thuy (pronounced “twee”), a Vietnamese singer from the Bay Area, and RINI, a Filipino singer from Los Angeles by the way of Australia, have carved respectable spaces for themselves in the genre thanks to their work over the past couple of years. Thuy is just a week removed from the deluxe reissue of her 2021 project I Hope U See This while RINI released his official debut album Constellations last fall.

Before AAPI Heritage month comes to a close, we caught up with Thuy and RINI to talk about their upbringing and how their roots helped them to grow into the artists they are today.

How did your family support your early aspirations in music?

Thuy: ​​Well, I feel like maybe as a kid, both of my parents, knew that was my passion. I’ve always been singing karaoke, and it was [always] one song, I would go into the middle of like family parties and I would pick up the strength to do that, even though I was really shy. So I feel like maybe they knew that was a gift that I had, but I never really let them into that life when I was actually making music. I felt like I was hiding a lot of myself, like, after work, I would go to the studio, but I wouldn’t tell them where I was going because I was afraid of what they would think.

RINI: They didn’t mind me doing it, but there was a point in time where I was in a different space, and I didn’t know where I was heading with my life. My family, especially my mom, were kind of like, “Yo, you’re not doing anything. You just go into the studio, how are you even making money? You don’t have a job.” It got to a point where it was becoming a problem for them and they were worried about my future, and I don’t blame them for being that way. Everybody wants the best for the kids, but I couldn’t really do anything else but music because that’s what I love doing. Even though you know, I was struggling trying to make some money, trying to go to the city bus, make some money, do gigs, and stuff, my family never really saw a future in there and I had to fight for that.

What about your heritage influences your music, the way you approach the craft, or any other aspect?

T: What I could take from my heritage is that they’re very passionate about their music. Music has always been something that transcends past family parties. I feel like my parents have always used music as a way to bond with family members. It was just something like, that was really big in my family. I feel like it probably was the reason why influenced me performance-wise, as far as karaoke goes. I feel like that’s what I took into my artistry. I love performing, and it’s probably one of my favorite parts of being a musician. Just being able to be on stage and touch people and interact in that way, that’s probably my favorite part about being a musician.

R: When I write songs, I always write based on experience and in such a romantic way. Filipinos love to sing ballads, and they love that romantic jazz. So, me growing up there, I was listening to a lot of those types of songs. I feel like those transition into my own songwriting, the way I hear melodies, and the way I come up with chords when I make my music. Just always coming from the deepest part of my heart because that’s how that’s Filipinos like to be loved.

Was it hard to convince your parents to allow you to pursue music? If so, what convinced them that it would be worthwhile?

T: I feel like with like Asian parents, sometimes it’s like bragging rights (laughs). I feel like with school, it was more tangible because it was like, “Oh, that’s a degree and I can show that off to the family members.” With music, it wasn’t really something that they could understand. I think maybe it was a year and a half or two years ago, I was on a TV segment with the Bay Area News. My parents watch the news, so that kind of changed everything for them. I think seeing me on TV, they were like, “OH! Okay, my daughter is like, okay, this is serious.”

R: There was one time my mom and I got into a huge argument about what I was supposed to do with my life and I ended up running away from my house and just stayed at a couple of friends’ houses — still making music at that time. After a couple of months, everything started going up, like the music started paying off. To the point where I’m like, I could actually do this sh*t full time, I don’t have to worry about getting gas or not being able to have anything to give myself. That’s when I talked to my parents. I showed them this is proof I’m making money from this passion that I love doing that you thought wasn’t really a proper thing. Then, the news of me getting signed with a major label in the US blew their minds.

You’re not too far removed from your most recent projects, what do you hope these bodies of work contribute to the overall story you’re trying to paint as an artist?

T: I love creating a storyline. I feel like “X’s And O’s” and “Distance Between Us,” for example, tie into the story of I Hope You See This of closing out that chapter of like that bad relationship or leaving people in the past and that’s kind of like what “X’s And O’s” is about, just like leaving people, whether it’s the non-believers or whether it’s a toxic ex, in the past and I feel like the whole deluxe is really just like closing out that chapter of my life.

R: I want to be able to show the world and myself that I’m growing, not just in music, but as a person. The things that I write about, the things that I talk about are constantly going to be different and something new. I think that I achieved that with Constellations. I feel like I’ve evolved from what I was before. That’s what I hope to keep doing in the future.

What’s one thing you’d love to contribute back to your culture?

T: I hope that I give back a different perspective. I think that being Vietnamese doesn’t always have to be a certain set of ways. I feel like growing up, you had to follow this rubric of how you act, how you dress, and how you talk to your elders. I hope that I can show my culture that you don’t have to be those things to be a good person. Now, I go to family parties and I wear what I want and I’m not afraid to be who I am 100%. Just showing that there are just so many different types of people within our culture, and we all share a story that contributes to something so much bigger than us.

R: I would definitely love to shed light on like what’s really happening in my country. There’s a lot of poverty in stuff you know, being third world [country], but also that no matter where you come from, you can make something out of yourself. That’s the message that I’m really trying to deliver because, especially in the music scene, there are really not a lot of full Filipinos that are pushing through to the mainstream market. I just want to be the bridge for that. I would love to see more Filipino artists being more recognized.

What is one thing you’d say to younger artists who look up to you?

T: I would say, keep going. Even if you only get ten likes on your posts, keep going. It’s all about being consistent, working hard, and — you don’t have to make the best music right now – [constantly] creating — and never stop creating just because you’re not getting like the outside validation. Just know that you have something special within yourself.

R: I would say learn everything about yourself. Learn the weaknesses, learn your strengths, keep the people that push you to be better, and know who you can trust and support. As artists, [we] go through a lot of things, and once everything kind of starts to pop pop off, other people start to kind of get there and try to change things up a little bit. So, I think the most important things for artists to do is just learn about yourself, grow, continuously push boundaries, surround yourself with people you can trust, and don’t doubt your vision when you get one.

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, WMG’s API Employee Resource Group APIECE partnered with LION’S SHARE to give emerging AAPI music artists a spotlight! Check out their Spotlight AAPI Topsify list below for some serious tunes.

Thuy’s I Hope U See Thus (Deluxe) is out now. You can stream it here.

RINI’s Constellations is out now via Warner. You can stream it here.

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

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Kendrick Lamar’s second album, is one of the biggest LPs ever. By at least one metric, it’s actually the biggest hip-hop album of all time: As of this week, it’s the first hip-hop studio album to spend 500 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. It’s the second hip-hop release overall to do so, following Eminem’s 2005 compilation Curtain Call: The Hits.

As far as all non-compilation albums, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is eighth on the all-time list (as of last week, via Wikipedia). It comes after Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon (962 weeks), Metallica’s Metallica (660), Nirvana’s Nevermind (576), Bruno Mars’ Doo-Wops & Hooligans (572), Adele’s 21 (541), Michael Jackson’s Thriller (522), and AC/DC’s Back In Black (516).

Of those, only the albums from Mars, Adele, and Lamar were released this millennium. When counting compilations, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City is 14th all-time. Meanwhile, Drake’s Take Care is closing in on the 500-week mark, as it’s currently at 481 weeks and is still on the chart.

In less good Lamar chart news from this week, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House had 521,500 album units sold in its first week. That figure easily tops this year’s previous best for a single week: Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, which had 295,000 album units sold in its debut frame.

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

In her latest video, Beabadoobee takes the phrase “bedroom pop” in a very literal sense. The visual for “Lovesong,” from her upcoming sophomore album, Beatopia, shows the singer playing guitar in her bedroom, as she is cozied up near the fire on a rainy, stormy day.

She recorded much of her debut album, Fake It Flowers, in her home bedroom and took a similar approach to Beatopia. She named the album Beatopia after a fictional world she created when she was seven years old.

In an interview with The Face, Beabadoobee recalled drawing a map of the fictional Beatopia on paper​, later to be mocked by a teacher in front of her class.

“My two friends made worlds as well,” she said, “but they weren’t anywhere near as enthusiastic about theirs, which was quite embarrassing… I guess I just wanted to escape reality, I kind of latched onto it because a lot of things were happening back home and it was a way of escaping everything that was going on around me.”

Toward the end of the video, viewers will see a backing band joining Beabadoobee in her room, adding orchestral elements to the song.

Check out “Lovesong” above.

Beatopia is out 7/15 via Dirty Hit. Pre-save it here.