The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from 2 Chainz, Megan Thee Stallion, and more.

Despite this week being so short due to a holiday, some of hip-hop’s biggest names were able to cram in plenty of new releases. Rod Wave kicked off the run to his third studio album with “Cold December,” Key Glock paid homage to his fallen mentor Young Dolph with “Proud,” Cordae kept flying high with HER and Lil Durk on “Chronicles,” and French Montana continued to rollout They Got Amnesia with “FWMGAB.” Today, 2 Chainz dropped “Pop Music” with Moneybagg Yo and Beatking, Megan Thee Stallion linked up with Shenseea for the raunchy “Lick,” and even more artists dropped new music, which you can spot below.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending January 21, 2022.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Che Noir — Food For Thought

The Buffalo, New York rapper dropped her first project of 2022 after releasing a string of impressive projects over the past 12 months with Apollo Brown and 38 Spesh. The standout here is “Ladies Brunch,” on which fellow Buffalo products 7xvethegenius and Armani Caesar combine to show off some truly complex bars.

Iann Dior — On To Better Things

The “Mood” rapper kept it moving in 2021, parlaying his 2020 breakout into steady work throughout the next year. Singles from his second album have done well internationally and with support from Lil Uzi Vert and Travis Barker, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his album chart well this time next week.

Mach-Hommy — Dollar Menu

The underground stalwart kept streaming services at arm’s length for much of his early rise, but now that he’s become one of the most notable non-core members of the Griselda extended family, he’s opened his vaults, cleared a few samples, and given a whole new audience a chance to experience his music for the first time.

Paper Route Empire — Love Live Dolph

Young Dolph’s labelmates on Paper Route Empire (which he also founded and led) come together to pay tribute to his memory.

Rich Brian — Brightside EP

The Indonesian wunderkind surprised fans with a brand-new EP of four songs to display his impressive lyrical chops.

Rucci — For My Dawgz 2

Inglewood rapper Rucci returned to his 2018 mixtape to follow up his breakout 2021, inviting a sprinkling of his friends in the LA underground along for the ride, including his Kourtesy Of Us partner in rhyme AzChike.

Singles/Videos

Bankrol Hayden — “No Drama”

The first thing that popped into my head when I heard Bankrol Hayden’s new single was Jack Harlow’s “Way Out,” which isn’t the worst song to get compared to. Once I drew the connection, though, I couldn’t stop drawing parallels between the two lighthearted artists. Approach with caution.

Big KRIT — “So Cool”

The Mississippi rapper returns to the spotlight to begin the rollout for his third independently released album with this hilarious, Anchorman-themed video with cameos from Trinidad James, comedian Karlous Miller, and DJ Wally Sparks.

Fly Anakin — “No Dough”

Fly Anakin has been on an absolute roll as one of a new class of rising underground rap dadaists with an utter disregard for the previously established boundaries of the subgenre. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t respect the history; linking up with maestro Madlib will go a long way toward lending legitimacy to the movement — and Fly Anakin himself.

Guapdad 4000 — “I Need Bands”

Hijacking LL Cool J’s unmistakable beat from his seminal hit “I Need Love” is exactly the sort of shenanigans that makes Guapdad so endearing.

Ralfy The Plug — “Fight The Force”

Even two members down, the Stinc Team keeps their flag flying high, courtesy of Drakeo’s brother Ralfy The Plug, who released his new mixtape, Pastor Ralfy 2, today.

Rubi Rose — “Single”

The XXL Freshman releases a new twerk anthem to remind fans that she’s still around and capable of capturing their attention with her one-of-a-kind voice in addition to her other assets.

Xavier Wulf — “Top Dead Center”

Memphis underground favorite Xavier Wulf drops a new video for his 2021 EP, Garage Punk.

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

The Russell Westbrook in Los Angeles experiment has not progressed well. Despite some strong stretches of play throughout the year, Westbrook has really struggled to consistently establish an identity and provide a positive impact for the Lakers this season.

That was no more evident than their loss Wednesday to the Indiana Pacers, when Westbrook was on the bench during crunch-time. As the trade deadline inches closer — it’s fewer than three weeks away — speculation continues to loom as to whether Los Angeles can or will deal the former MVP.

According to Marc Stein, the possibility of such a trade transpiring “generally remains a pretty vociferous no.” He does, however, follow up with “I have been advised that I should amend my previous characterization of the Lakers’ finding a Westbrook trade from outright impossible to extremely unlikely.”

A reason for that shift, Stein says, is the Houston Rockets emerging as a suitor “if the conditions are right.” Largely for salary purposes, a Rockets-Lakers deal would center around John Wall and Westbrook, the same two players who swapped teams prior to the 2020-21 season.

Stein says the Rockets are not interested “in having Westbrook play for them again,” but would entertain a reunion if Los Angeles offered draft picks.

“To be clear: This is not a scenario likely to materialize between now and Feb. 10,” Stein writes. “Yet sources say that the Lakers could convince Houston to take Westbrook back for Wall if they attached their 2027 first-round draft pick to the deal. The Lakers could naturally try to offer multiple second-round picks instead, but L.A.’s 2027 first-rounder is the piece rival teams naturally covet.

“Reason being: That 2027 first is clearly the most valuable trade asset that the Lakers currently possess. The Lakers have tried, with no luck yet, to package that pick with Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn in an attempt to acquire Jerami Grant from Detroit.”

Stein says he doesn’t “sense” the Lakers viewing this framework as something they’re pursuing at the moment. But he also notes it could re-emerge in the off-season if Los Angeles’ season doesn’t end fortuitously and its partnership with Westbrook remains suboptimal.

Among other issues is the fact that acquiring Wall, as I see it, doesn’t change this team’s outlook. He struggled last season, isn’t a particularly good off-ball player and the defense has severely declined in recent years. His passing and speed are still weapons, but the Lakers with Wall in place of Westbrook right now probably aren’t in a better position.

In a move that only Donald Trump could make, the former president reportedly wants to endorse more than one candidate in the same Senate races so that way he can look like a “kingmaker” in the Republican Party as prominent voices like Ann Coulter says his time is “done.” After whiffing big in Pennsylvania after his candidate of choice, Sean Parnell, had to drop out of the Republican senate primary race following accusations of domestic abuse, Trump needs to give off the impression that his endorsement means something as he eyes another presidential run in 2024.

However, Trump’s inner circle are all being paid to advise various candidates that they want him to endorse, and it’s left the big guy very confused. So now he just wants to go ahead and pick two candidates, or at the very least, pretend that he did. Via Politico:

Another person close to the former president said he does not expect that Trump will ultimately endorse two candidates in the same race. More likely is that he will shower praise on multiple candidates or offer them some other form of acknowledgement, such as granting each a visit to Mar-a-Lago to pose for a picture with him.

While Trump could choose to sit out some Senate races, some in his inner circle worry that not endorsing at all would cede power to his nemesis, MITCH MCCONNELL.

Again, it’s very important for Trump to look like a kingmaker, or the party could start to shift its weight behind another 2024 candidate like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Of course, that all hinges on whether or not Trump will even enter the race. If his endorsements fail in 2022 and/or Joe Biden’s approval rating goes above 46%, Trump won’t risk losing another election like he did in 2020, reportedly. But who knows with this freaking guy?

(Via Politico)

Baja Beach Fest is quickly becoming the go-to festival destination for reggaeton and musica Latina. The 2021 edition saw the Rosarito Beach music festival expand into not only a 3-day affair, but also into a second weekend and acts like Anuel AA, J Balvin, Ozuna, and Farruko put it down at the glistening Mexican beachside fest. Now Anuel AA and Farruko are back for the 2022 edition, along with Daddy Yankee, Wisin y Yandel, Banda MS, and Maluma to headline the newly announced 2022 festival lineup.

Going down from August 12th to 14th, and then once again from August 19th to 21st, Baja Beach Fest’s two weekend format is here to stay. There’s a renewed focus on Mexican talent in 2022 with Sinaloa’s Banda MS’s Saturday headlining set, Sonoran narcorrido rapper Natanael Cano playing on Friday, and surging singer and guitarist from Guanajuato, Junior H, on the bill as well.

The rest of the lineup is a veritable who’s who of reggaeton, Latin trap, and musica Latina from all over the globe. Myke Towers, Jay Wheelers, Tokischa, and Omy De Oro are part of Friday’s slate. Saturday acts include Sech, Jhay Cortez, Arcangel, Nicki Nicole, and Mora. While Sunday also features El Alfa, Natti Natasha, Lunay, Jowell & Randy, and Ryan Castro.

Check out the full lineup poster below and tickets are available now at bajabeachfest.com.

As more and more artists commit to podcast appearances as part of their usual media relations duties, more and more tensions have begun to arise between interview subjects and the more-or-less unregulated space. While podcasts have been notorious for sparking viral moments like the tet-a-tet between Kanye West and Big Sean on opposing episodes of Drink Champs, sometimes these interviews touch on broader issues like the double standards between men and women, resulting in moments that highlight just how podcast hosts can violate boundaries.

A recent example arose today, as Ari Lennox trended on Twitter due to her response to a recent podcast interview that left her vowing to eschew any future appearances in South Africa as a result of a host’s disrespect. During an interview with Johannesburg-based show, Podcast And Chill With Mac G, Ari was visibly distraught by the host’s question, “Is somebody f*cking you good right now?” “That’s a wild question,” she responded. “Why ask it that way?” While Mac G advised her that he was quoting one of her own songs, she was less than enthused about it in hindsight, finally responding two days later with her unfiltered thoughts on her treatment.

“I’m just like… why was I alone on a call full of people?” she wondered on Twitter. “Why didn’t anyone intervene? And why wasn’t parts of the interview destroyed like the team promised? Why did it happen to begin with? I just feel slow and ambushed and blindsighted. Just because I happily and freely sing/write about sex don’t make any kind of creepy disrespect warranted. I clearly was in immense shock and hate that I didn’t react differently.”

Although she pointed out that she doesn’t “want anyone feeling sorry for me,” she was quickly bombarded with messages blaming her for the line of questioning. When one reply read, “If you hate being treated like a piece of meat then stop marketing yourself as a butchery,” Ari expressed her wish never to visit the country. “South Africa! Y’all got it!!! Heard you loud and clear. This won’t be a place I will ever visit. Really got grown men justifying rape and predatory culture. Disgusting.” As responses kept coming in, she shut down the number-one criticism she’d received. “No rebranding necessary you misogynistic bitch!” she said. “I enjoy how I express myself in my music.”

Ari’s no stranger to misogynistic tweets. In 2020, she sparked another debate about the treatment of Black women and obnoxious beauty standards when a commenter compared her to a rottweiler. Fortunately, she’s got new music on the way in 2022, which should give people something else to talk about.

Hey all!

Welcome to Upworthy’s weekly round-up of delights from around the internet. This week’s list features a little of everything—gorgeous music, cute kids, adorable animals, hope for the planet, and a brand new video message from the late and great Betty White.

That’s right, Betty White left us one last message of gratitude shortly before her passing. It’s brief, but how lovely to see and hear her speak to her millions of fans one last time. Few celebrities are as universally beloved as Betty White was, and though we knew she couldn’t live forever, it would have been fun to see her celebrate her 100th birthday. Now at least we get to experience her joy and warmth one last time with a few last words.

Hope these 10 things make you smile as well:

Kid’s parents have a stuffed toy made from his drawing and his reaction is everything.

His parents had a stuffed toy made from one of his drawings, so cool. pic.twitter.com/vQfdYb2uBS

— Fred Schultz (@Fred Schultz)
1642696454

Kids’ artwork is precious. There’s nothing like seeing the unique imagination of a child take form in the real world, so having something they created in 2-D be transformed into 3-D is so cool.

This puppers desperately wants this statue to play fetch, and now I need a puppy.

Come on man….throw it. pic.twitter.com/Urs980U6r0

— Laughs 4 All ud83eudd1f (@Laughs 4 All ud83eudd1f)
1642342383

I’m a cat person, but I want to take this dog home and give them all the peanut butter and let them sleep on all the furniture all the time, thankyouverymuch.

Cellist plays a 12-part cello piece solo, and it’s absolutely stunning.

Music already seems like magic. But the things people can do with technology these days is incredible—and so very appreciated during the pandemic, when playing in groups isn’t always safe. This performance is just beautiful in every way.

Surfer offers to write the names of strangers’ lost loved ones on his surfboard so they can ride ‘one last wave’

See on Instagram

I loved writing this story and hearing about what made Dan Fischer decide to do it. Such a great example of the power of one person doing what they can, using what they have, to bring whatever comfort they can to their fellow humans. Just wonderful. Read the full story here.

Nurse treats patient’s Big Bird stuffy, illustrating how nurses really are superheroes.

This patient has Cohen syndrome—a genetic disorder that can cause developmental delay, intellectual disability, small head size and weak muscle tone—and his nurse taking the time to treat Big Bird to comfort him is so compassionate and caring.

6-year-old cheerleader breaks down in tears, but the crowd’s support helps her rally.

See on Instagram

Oh, this sweet baby girl. She was so nervous and overwhelmed, but she stood her ground and–with the help of a supportive crowd—gathered her wits about her. Well done, everyone.

Zoologist captures 1,000 fin whales in one spot—a ray of hope for the endangered species.

We found about 1000 fin whales over a 5×5 mile area off South Orkney. Blue and humpback also mixed in. Mind completely blown @LindbladExp #NationalGeographicEndurancepic.twitter.com/xtdvexXwI5

— Conor Ryan (@Conor Ryan)
1642121461

Conor Ryan describes himself as a “whale nerd” which is literally true. He’s a zoologist, photographer and expert on whales, and even his mind was blown upon seeing this many fin whales in one spot. The endangered species nearly went extinct last century, so this is a hopeful sight. Read the full story here.

Bird researcher turns herself into a human bird feeder. (Wait for it.) 

See on Instagram

Oh, when her patience and stillness paid off! Her face tells the whole story.

TSA dog gets a perfect surprise on his final bag search before retirement.

After more than eight years of service, this TSA airport sniffer dog officially retired..nnThis is how they surprised him on his final bag search.. pic.twitter.com/sPyRzLee5U

— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden)
1642596519

It’s doggo happiness raining down from the heavens.

Betty White’s publicist shared her final message to her fans this morning.

Betty White’s publicist shared the video on White’s official Facebook page this morning. “When we recorded her special message to fans who attended the movie, we also recorded one that we had planned to put on social media on her birthday,” she wrote. “She was using the occasion of her 100th birthday to celebrate YOU – her fans. She knew how lucky she was; she felt the love, and she never took it for granted.”

Hope that brought some joy to your heart! Come back next week for another round-up of timeline cleansers.

There was a massive snowstorm in Canada on Monday that blanketed southern Ontario. In a report on the storm’s aftermath, CTV News interviewed young Carter Trozzolo to see how it was affecting everyday Canadians. Trozzolo had the day off from school so he was put to work shoveling snow in his neighborhood.

When asked how his monumental task was going he said, “Tiring,” with a large sigh. “I really wish I was in school right now,” he continued. He added that he wasn’t just shoveling snow for himself but “neighbors, friends, probably people I even don’t know,” he said in an exasperated tone. “I am tired,” he reiterated.

The clip was of a young man shoveling snow, but his overwhelming sense of exasperation feels like it was about a lot more than just the task at hand. It’s how most of us feel after almost two years of dealing with the pandemic.

In fact, a recent poll by Monmouth University found that six in 10 Americans feel worn out by pandemic-related changes they’ve had to make. Thirty-six percent feel “worn out a lot” and 24% feel “worn out a little.”

The lower thirds in this @CTVToronto piece are amazing.nn- Carter Trozzolo: Exhaustednn- Vishnu Jaynathan: Needs a Bigger Shovelnn- Miles Keller: Dog Ownerpic.twitter.com/emFO58aTG4

— tea, like the beverage (@tea, like the beverage)
1642528692

To take things a step further, the next interview in the clip feels like a metaphor for the futility of trying to get through the day with no end to the pandemic on the horizon. Toronto resident Vishnu Jayanthan attempts to dig his car out of the snow with nothing more than garden hand tools.

Vishnu Jayanthan “needs a bigger shovel” the chyron reads.

We could all use a bigger shovel and to be less exhausted.

Ozark: Season 4, Part 1 (Netflix series) — The bad news is that Marty Byrde and fam will only be with us for one more season. The good news is that this is a supersized season that will arrive in two halves, so let’s pretend that it’s two more seasons. Jason Bateman’s baby has been good to us all, even if it’s been bad for Marty, Wendy, and the kids, and so-so for Ruth (Julia Garner’s set to rule the world). This season, we’ll see what happened after the blood-spattered tarmac happenings. One can bet that this new beginning won’t be any more relaxing than the Byrdes’ money-laundering U.S. life.

Servant: Season 3 (Apple TV+ series) — M. Night Shyamalan wraps up his current showrunning and directing duties with his cult-focused series that should wrap up what’s going on with that spooky nanny. Baby Jericho’s returned, and the tension’s all the way up to eleven, but the horror still has another round to go before either releasing or destroying this entire cast of characters.

Here’s some regularly scheduled programming:

Saturday Night Live (Saturday, NBC 10:29pm) — Host Will Forte and musical guest Maneskin.

Billions (Sunday, Showtime 9:00pm) — God only knows how the Powers That Be plan to shake things up and carry on after Damian Lewis’ Bobby Axelrod has left the building. This week, Chuck is upstate and clearing out his noggin while Prince is reworking the whole joint to his liking. Or not.

Euphoria (Sunday, HBO 9:00pm) — The sad pancakes are all gone, and Rue and Jules have touched base again. Rue’s now into a new business venture while she’s helping to arrange a new friendship while Lexi and Cassie are onto new ventures in their own right.

The Righteous Gemstones (Sunday, HBO 10:00pm) — Judy’s not having a great time with the in-laws, Baby Billy’s not having a great time with his growing family, and Eli is not having a great time while Kelvin and Jesse conspire against him. Not great!

Somebody Somewhere (Sunday, HBO 10:35pm) — Sam’s bonding with members of the choir group while she and Joel find their friendship tested already.

Here are some more streaming picks:

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (Apple TV+ series) — Get ready for this reboot of the 1980s Jim Hensen series that would never let the theme song leave your head. This is a half-hour series with more original songs, and expect these puppets to sound like Patti LaBelle, Ed Helms, Kenan Thompson, Cynthia Erivo, Daveed Diggs, and… The Foo Fighters? Yes.

Single Drunk Female (Freeform) — A 20-something alcoholic (portrayed by Sofia Black-D’Elia) must sober up and move back in with her mother, leaving her New York media career behind. This series is created by Simone Finch, and Jenni Konner executive produces this irreverent series about how a young woman must rebuild her life while being surrounded by constant alcohol triggers, including a formerly close friend who’s moved in on her ex. Not great, but you can’t let the world get you down forever.

Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye (Disney+ special) — Clint Barton and Kate Bishop and Yelena Belova in one show: the final product was better than most MCU fans dreamed possible. Here’s a look behind the scenes to see how the magic (and those stunts) happened.

La Fortuna: Season 1 (AMC+ series) — Stanley Tucci’s a rogue treasure hunter attempting to track down a sunken ship from the 1800s, and he get embroiled within a government conspiracy in the process. What more do you need to know?

The Royal Treatment (Netflix film) — A hairdresser in the Big Apple ends up making heads pretty for a charming prince’s wedding, and then, like, they end up having a thing? This sounds sketchy as heck, and of course, he’ll find himself torn between duty and love in the process. Bridgerton this ain’t.

The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman (Netflix series) — True crime fans can get a fix with this stunning story about Robert Freegard, who fleeced and conned several women and one man. These victims ended up believing that they were in, uh, operations for the secret service, and that they must comply for the safety of their families. Yikes.

Too Hot to Handle: Season 3 (Netflix series) — If you want to watch a bunch of beautiful people who are also sexually frustrated, then this is the dating show for you. Netflix is officially describing them as “horned-up hellraisers,” and yes, that sounds perfectly accurate. They’re all banking on being able to abstain from both sexual contact and solo gratification while playing this game for prize money…. and maybe some love? And yes, this one was inspired by Seinfeld. Watch out for those Costanzas.

Heavenly Bites (Netflix series) — Settle in to watch this series about all the food that Mexicans love to eat but hate to digest. Bring on the ghost peppers, baby.

Munich – The Edge of War (Netflix film) — This film, which is based upon Robert Harris’ international bestseller, takes place as Adolf Hitler’s gearing up (in 1938) to invade Czechoslovakia. Negotiations are also set to begin between a British civil servant and a German diplomat, who seek a peaceful resolution on behalf of Neville Chamberlain’s administration. The history books can tell us what happened next on the larger scale while this story also revolves around two men, also friends, who put themselves in danger while attempting to navigate political subterfuge.

Variety is reporting that Ex-Machina director Alex Garland’s latest project, an action film titled Civil War, to be distributed by A24, will star Kirsten Dunst. Civil War will also star Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Cailee Spaeny. Very few details of the film have been shared, other than the fact that Garland will direct and write the story, which takes place in the near future.

This marks Garland’s third collaboration with the studio, following the critically-acclaimed 2016 sci-fi thriller Ex-Machina starring Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson, and this year’s upcoming horror drama Men, starring Jesse Buckley. Garland also received praise for his 2018 sci-fi/horror thriller, Annihilation.

Dunst received buzz last year for her stellar performance in The Power Of The Dog alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and her longtime partner Jesse Plemons. Dunst was nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG award for her role as Rose Gordon in the western drama. This also marks the second time Garland will be working with actor Stephen McKinley Henderson, who starred in his science fiction miniseries Devs in 2020.

A24 has a handful of films in the works for this year, including Disappointment Blvd, Ari Aster’s newest horror-comedy, Ti West’s latest horror film, X, and Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, When You Finish Saving the World.

The Sopranos was a show with some wild twists, but arguably its most shocking revelation was that Vito Spatafore, the portly capo of the Aprile crew and one of Tony’s best earners, was actually a closeted homosexual. Initially spotted by Meadow’s boyfriend Finn DeTrolio going down on a security guard, Vito’s proclivities remained a secret to the rest of the crew from season five until a few episodes into season six. Vito gets spotted at a leather bar, mid lasso dance, and is forced to flee his closeted life, building up to a sort of “lost weekend” in New Hampshire in possibly my favorite episode, “Johnny Cakes.”

We’ve been discussing all of these episodes in-depth on our Sopranos podcast, Pod Yourself A Gun. Recently, we got in touch with Joe Gannascoli, the actor who played Vito. Actually, he emailed us out of the blue. As it turns out, Gannascoli’s story is as compelling as his character’s. Gannascoli, who had originally appeared as a bakery customer named “Gino” in season one (one of only three actors to play more than one speaking character on the show, the other two having both played twins), was partly responsible for the entire Vito storyline. He’d pitched it to one of the writers after learning about a real-life gay mobster from a book he was reading, called Murder Machine.

Gannascoli managed to parlay that anecdote into one of the show’s most memorable storylines. Of course, Gannascoli wasn’t always an actor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he originally trained as a chef, working in Manhattan and New Orleans, dabbling in theater along the way. He says it was actually a gambling debt that spurred him to pursue acting full time. “Cody Carlson is responsible for my acting,” Gannascoli told the AP back in 2006. Carlson had started in place of injured Hall of Famer Warren Moon back in 1990, in a game that cost Gannascoli $60,000. Gannascoli ended up selling his stake in a restaurant to pay back his bookie and he moved to LA.

Since finding fame on The Sopranos, Gannascoli has published a novel, gotten married (“I got married late, and I said ‘I gotta get married quick here because people are really going to think that I’m gay,’ so it was a rush job.”), cooked for frontline workers, and hosted $125-a-head private dinners in New York. After his hip replacement surgery in 2006 (which was his real life, not just a Vito storyline) Gannascoli says he golfs every day (walking) and when we caught up with him, was just about to cook dinner for his 12-year-old daughter.

We enjoyed talking to Joe on the podcast so much we wanted to share the interview in print as well, so below is a written version of our conversation/interview. Enjoy.

—

JOE GANNASCOLI: How are you? What a pleasure. I’m so glad *I* made it happen.

UPROXX: You did. You did the legwork. We did nothing. But we have an email address, so that’s something.

That’s true…. I can’t tell you how many podcasts I get asked to do and I don’t do them…. There was another one by cast members that seemed to be pretty popular but I didn’t do that. I wouldn’t do it. I refused.

Is there a reason why you won’t do the other Sopranos podcast, with Steve [Schirripa] and Michael [Imperioli]?

Well, first of all, it’s over. Second of all, I had a falling out with one of them. It got nasty and then they seem to have forgotten and they asked me to come on. I’m thinking to myself, “Are you kidding me?” So I said, “No, I’m not interested. Thanks.”

So the first question that I always ask every guest of this podcast is, are you a fan of The Sopranos?

The show?

Yeah.

Yeah, I became a fan. I don’t watch it now like so many people watch. People email me and direct message me all the time that they’re rewatching it. I don’t, for several reasons, but when it was on I watched it like millions of others.

Do you not watch it now because it’s hard to see an other version of yourself or…

Two reasons, one is… Well, maybe three. I don’t like seeing Jimmy [James Gandolfini] on the screen. And my hips, that walk, it brings back painful memories. As soon as they killed me I had my double hip replacement done.

In the show, you said multiple times as Vito, “I was supposed to have hip surgery.” That was a real thing? You actually had that hip surgery?

Yes. And many times, if something was happening in your private life they would incorporate it into the show.

So are the hips good now?

Well, that happened in maybe ’06. And I play golf almost every morning now and I walk the course. I carry my clubs. Before I couldn’t take a step without unbelievable pain so compared to that and now where I am it was the best move ever.

You mentioned Jim Gandolfini, I never had seen him in real life, just in the show. But I’ve noticed that he has these giant catcher’s mitts for hands. What was his presence like in person?

He was just a big bear of a guy, 6’3″. I don’t know what his weight was, I’d venture to say 240, 260 maybe. I’m not even sure. He was pretty much in shape. He was just a big man. He was very low-key. He didn’t come off as imposing. He was funny. He was affable. He didn’t come off as intimidating off camera.

You talked about them incorporating real-life things with the actors into the show, but the whole Vito arc where he’s gay, that was your idea, right? That was something that you’d pitched to David Chase?

I didn’t suggest it to David Chase himself because I never really interacted with him. But one of the writers was always on set and probably the writer that wrote that episode — you gotta do it sort of on the down-low. You don’t want to show like, “Hey, I got this idea and I think it’d be great so I could get more acting in scenes in stuff.” You don’t want to come off like a douchebag.

Right, like you don’t want to go in there and be like, “What if I killed Tony and then now the show’s about me?”

That’s exactly right. So I had to do it on the down-low and I was reading a book called Murder Machine, a true story about a crew in Brooklyn and I’m from Brooklyn. And one of the characters in it was gay and I thought that was… I was like, “Wow, it was a gay mobster.” And I said, I’m in a mob show and that’d be kind of interesting. Maybe I’ll bring it to their attention and say I’d be willing to do it. Well, it took them about two years for it to come to fruition but it changed my life. Thank God they did it. It’s not what I had in mind, the way they portrayed it, but I’m glad they did. It made him a little more sympathetic. And the scene with the security guard, I was on the wrong end of that scene.

Is that how you found out, they passed out the script and then all of a sudden you read that scene?

No, no. They stopped giving the scripts to the actors. One of the actors got a little tipsy, so to speak, left the script in a cab and they freaked out because everything was so highly secretive. So they just gave us our sides. I’m sure Jimmy and Edie got their scripts but they just gave us our sides, the ones that we were in the scenes. And the crew got the scripts because they had to prepare for it, hair, makeup, props, and so forth. So we all had our little moles and we’d ask them, “Hey, what’s going on next episode? Am I in it? Do I have some good stuff?” And my guy would say, “No. You’re in it. You’re not in it.”

So this one time I ask him and I said, “What’s going on?” And he said, “Oh, you got some good stuff going on.” “You read it? Do I get killed?” “No, you don’t get killed.” I said, “Oh, good. I can’t wait to read it.” He goes, “Oh, but by the way, you’re going to be blowin a guy.” So I go, “Are you fuckin’ kidding me?” I go, “What?” Because now I’m thinking 1), “Holy shit, they’re doing it.” And 2) “My fuckin’ friends are going to torture me in Brooklyn.”

Yeah.

I get the sides and sure enough I am. I get to the studio for the read-through and everybody was waiting downstairs and Sirico, Paulie Walnuts, says, “Hey, you guys know my friend? Joe, the cocksucker.” And Stevie Van Zandt says, “Joe, they’re going to break your balls in the neighborhood.” And Jimmy took me aside and says, “Listen, if you’re not comfortable with this, we don’t have to do it. We’ll go talk to David.” So I said, “I kind of asked for it. Not what I had in mind but as long as they don’t treat it like the Russian, I’m okay.” And so they said, “Look, we’re going to do that scene, nothing else on it, but the next year’s going to be a big year for you.” So that’s how that all came about.

Later, towards this arc that we’ve been talking about in these latest episodes, when you’re actually in a relationship with this guy, did they audition different guys for that firefighter role?

So John Costelloe, as you know, passed. May he rest in peace. He was a well-known New York actor. He was a firefighter and I actually knew him through a mutual friend and we actually worked together on something small and he was really respected. And we figured that (casting directors) Georgianne Walken and even Sheila Jaffe would know him because they knew the New York actors. So when I walked in they told me, “At lunch we want you to come upstairs and read with who’s going to be whoever it is.” I was relieved to see it was John Costelloe. It was someone I knew so it wasn’t sort of awkward and stuff.

I will say that there was one scene when we are rolling around in the hay, with the bikes, and I said, “Johnny, you got to do something with the f*ckin’ mustache because it’s going in my mouth and I’m about to vomit.” So hair and makeup fixed that. They tried to f*ckin’ brush it up as much as they could. I said, “Just let’s f*ckin’ do this and let’s get it over with.”

Did you tell them you have to shampoo it or something because I can taste last night’s dinner on it and it’s just too much?

It had a funky taste, I’ll tell you…

Did you end up getting as much shit from the guys in your neighborhood as you imagined that you would after these episodes aired?

You know, guys in Brooklyn, just like The Sopranos, just like Italians in the neighborhood, they like to break balls. If I had a f*ckin’ argument with somebody they’d say, “So what are you going to do now, blow me?” But for the most part, they knew it was acting.

Sure.

And I had some “real guys” [connected guys] in the neighborhood, but I know real guys, and they started giving me dirty looks when I was in a club or a restaurant. I was like, “What the f*ck is up with them?” They go, “Ah, the part. [They] don’t like the part you’re playing.” I go, “What the f*ck, it’s acting.” … And then they go, “Yeah, but they don’t like it.” And I go, “Ah, what the f*ck do they want me to do? It is what it is.” And so those are the guys that are knuckleheads but they were real guys and so yeah, they broke balls for a while, but for the most part it was good fun.

They’re so homophobic that even the portrayal of a gay man on TV they’re like, “I don’t like it. I just don’t. I don’t agree with this.”

Yeah. Sometimes if it really bothers them, I think they’re maybe… I mean I’m not f*ckin’ Freud here but I think they’re on the fence. Now, as far as me, I was in the restaurant business. I lived in New Orleans. I worked in a gay restaurant. I worked in Manhattan restaurants. If you have a problem with gays you shouldn’t be in the restaurant business. So I’m the type of guy who lives and let lives as long as it doesn’t interfere with me.

So since you were someone who was familiar with the world of gambling and whatnot, and you’re someone who grew up in Brooklyn, did you actually have run-ins with a lot of these mafioso characters? Were you able to look at The Sopranos and go, “Oh, this is true to the people I knew,” or kind of an exaggeration?

No, it was true in a lot of ways. Like I said, I grew up in Brooklyn, I know real guys. I’m talking about sons of heads of families, the real five families and who they’re with and you read about them and you know about them. And you know how it works. Not that I was around killings and stuff like that, but guys I know were these loan sharks and these shylocks, guys that are made, and guys that are connected, guys that wannabe. Guys that caught beatings or even killed for messing with someone’s daughter or wife. That happened growing up.

The show was pretty much on the money and certainly the lines — like sometimes I read so many things that people have said I’m doing a mob thing and I go, “Nobody talks like that. Nobody says ‘Capiche.’”

Right. Nobody actually goes around saying, “That’s-a spicy meatball.” That’s just not something that the mafia says.

Yeah, exactly. They didn’t go with the old contrived dialogue.

You talked about the secrecy of the scripts and them trying to keep those under wraps. Was there a lot of trepidation among the cast when you’d get the new scripts? Were people always sort of worried about their characters getting killed off and losing out on the future paydays?

Oh, 100%. That was everybody’s biggest fear. You’re in a mob show. What’s a mob show without guys getting killed? You’d know it was someone at the end of the year and it was Pussy, it was Jackie Junior, and I guess that was the big hit. Richie Aprile got it.

Were you ever around any of the actors when they found out that their character was getting killed off?

No, I think that David might’ve called them in and told them, depending on the actor. I know when I found out I went in and talked to him. I was trying to get to season six, the second part… and I said… “it’d be great if he could live and still earn, that Tony has evolved, you live and let live.” He let me speak for about five minutes and when I was done he said, “You’re going.” And I said, “Okay, thank you.”

Has anyone ever successfully talked themselves out of getting script whacked?

I don’t know. I think that once it was set, it was set. And because in his mind he’s got a way things are going to happen and fall into place.

One thing that we noticed or maybe suspected about David Chase in the course of making this podcast is that he seems to really like fat jokes, even to the point of, you wonder whether certain people were cast specifically so that he could write more fat jokes into the script. And then you ended up losing a bunch of weight towards the later seasons. When you’re reading scripts and there are fat jokes about your character, did you ever get your feelings hurt or was that ever a thing?

Yeah, it bothered me. It actually bothered me. Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why he kept me around… That’s a fuckin’ good point. I never fuckin’ thought about it. Good job there, Vince. I was always breaking the chair, that was one.

Ginny Sack, there was a whole arc about her being fat. Bobby [Baccala] being forced to do Santa Claus.

Yeah, now that I think about it, that’s a good point. I wonder. But yeah, it bothered me because I was always in shape. I had pictures when I was younger with my wife and I was an in-shape kind of guy and I took pride on that. Then when I became a chef, I stopped going to the gym and you start eating like an animal, drinking. That’s the lifestyle, for me anyway. Gambling. I’m just living like a real animal. So yeah, it just went all downhill after that.

In the episode where they discover that Vito’s gay at the leather bar, do you remember what you were thinking the first time that they came in and showed you the wardrobe that you were going to have for that?

I had to go up for a fitting and I said, “I’m wearing that?” They said, “Yeah.” And I said, “I’m not doing this without dungarees on. Nobody wants to see me in assless chaps.” And those people in that scene were real guys that they went out and got from the West Village, or the East Village, so that was interesting.

Did you improvise that move where you were doing like, a cowboy with a lasso?

Yeah, yeah. I don’t know how to dance. I’m very happy that I have my own GIF. When someone’s happy that they got a raise, they send them that GIF.

That a great GIF.

That was a move like I didn’t know what to do, so I did the old lasso move.

It’s a great move. It’s iconic.

And I think it was Buscemi directing or maybe Terry Winters. They said this is the last take, you do what you want to do. And I didn’t know what they were implying… but I gave him a kiss just because I said, let me just go for it, you know what I mean? And he was a real guy. He was a personal shopper at Barneys.

Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can access his archive of reviews here.