Category: News

Lil Kim is just about fed up with her “Magic Stick” collaborator 50 Cent after his latest post, calling his trolling antics corny and opining that the Queens rapper is “obsessed” with her. 50, who seems to spend almost as much time trolling on Instagram as he does producing his many, many shows on Starz (which include the latest iteration of Power and BMF) posted a side-by-side comparison of a photo of Lil Kim performing at a show and the titular villain from the Leprechaun horror movies.

“I’m sorry i know it’s early but i don’t know why sh*t like this is funny to me,” he captioned the photo. However, when Kim saw it, she was less than amused. “Ur so obsessed wit me this is getting creepy,” she commented. “This one ain’t it bro. Not funny at all. I was hoping to laugh wit u but cornyyyyy. Boooo!!! U falling off. Im too bad and too fly in this video. U reachin now but we all know whyyyy.” For those who don’t know, Kim previously joked that 50 was “in his feels” over being turned down for a dinner date after he compared her BET Awards look to an owl.

In that instance, Kim herself reposted the side-by-side, teasing 50 and promoting her upcoming memoir (a very 50 Cent-esque move, to be honest). This time, though, there was no image to repost after the initial clap back. 50 deleted his post… but not before The Shade Room got ahold of it. You can see both posts above.

A MAGA rioter learned a hard lesson recently: No matter how many episodes of Law & Order you’ve watched, it doesn’t make you a good lawyer.

Brandon Fellows appeared before a federal judge on Tuesday to argue that his bond status be reconsidered. He’d been indicted on charges stemming from his participation in the Jan. 6th insurrection but had been granted a pretrial release before his court date was set. Fellows is facing a felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding after he entered the Capitol building through a broken window without permission from Capitol Police and proceeded to smoke marijuana in Sen. Jeff Merkley’s (D-OR) office. Despite the severity of the charges he’s facing, a judge ruled to let him out on bond before his trial takes place, only to quickly reverse that order when Fellows repeatedly violated the conditions of his release, first by missing a court-ordered mental health evaluation and then, allegedly, by calling a probation officer’s mother.

So, yeah, Fellows is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but even the presiding judge for his case questioned his mental capacity when Fellows, who has no formal law training, requested to represent himself in court this week. According to WUSA9 (and via The Daily Beast) Fellows asked U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden to appoint him as his own lawyer, saying he spent two weeks in the D.C. jail’s law library and felt confident he could do a better job of it than his court-appointed defender. McFadden repeatedly warned Fellows against this idea, but eventually, the judge granted his request.

What happened next is something that everyone but Fellows could see coming.

Not only did he make some bizarre claims as NSA agent filing charges against him (they didn’t), he also admitted to committing even more felonies, and serious ones at that. Fellows told prosecutors that, yes, he had broken into the Capitol building and yes, he had smoked marijuana in a senator’s office. He also told the court that he had conversations with his lawyer, trying to find a legal loophole to get McFadden removed from his case and that he’d done something similar with the last judge assigned to him.

According to court reporting from WUSA9, Fellows said he had intentionally given the phone number of another judge’s wife as his emergency contact, so that judge would be removed from his case. He asked his then-lawyer if he should do something similar to get McFadden removed, suggesting he could call a family member of McFadden’s to do so. Later, Fellows also admitted to his role in the Jan. 6th riots and confirmed he had missed scheduled mental health evaluations and drug testings since his release from jail.

Obviously, the judge was not happy about all that, so, you guessed it, Fellows is going back behind bars — and his stay will probably be substantially longer after he’s incriminated himself so badly.

(Via WUSA9 & The Daily Beast)

Dave Chappelle makes several remarks against trans people in his new Netflix special, The Closer, including declaring himself “team TERF” in defense of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended the special, saying that “we don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe The Closer crosses that line,” but the company’s transgender employees and co-worker allies are staging a walkout next week over Chappelle’s comments. Via the LA Times:

On Oct. 20, members of the Netflix employee resource group Trans* and their allies will take a “day of rest” prompted by their concerns about Chappelle’s The Closer. “I encourage all [members of] Trans* and allies not to work for Netflix that day. … As we’ve discussed through Slack, email, texts and everything in between, our leadership has shown us that they do not uphold the values for which we are held,” a Netflix employee posted Monday in a public, company Slack channel comprising more than 800 staffers representing “gender minorities of all sorts and their allies.”

The message continues, “I encourage us all to state clearly that we, as Netflix employees are stunning not simply when we are doing the work that our roles demand of us but also when we challenge the very principles of our company.”

Last week, GLAAD released a statement about Chappelle’s special and history of anti-LGBTQ jokes. “Dave Chappelle’s brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities. Negative reviews and viewers loudly condemning his latest special is a message to the industry that audiences don’t support platforming anti-LGBTQ diatribes. We agree,” the statement reads.

In response to the backlash, Chappelle said, “If this is what being canceled is like, I love it.”

(Via the Los Angeles Times)

After IATSE union members voting in overwhelming favor of a strike back on October 4, union officials have officially set the date for the proposed industry shut down: October 18. According to The Hollywood Reporter, unless an agreement is reached between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (or IASTE, to keep things significantly more brief) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMTPT) by the end of the weekend, 60,000 film and television crew members will go on strike starting on Monday, October 18 at 12:01 a.m. PDT in what is sure to be a massive blow to both the film and television industry.

IATSE international president Matthew D. Loeb said the union will continue trying to bargain with the AMPTP in hopes of reaching an agreement “that addresses core issues, such as rest periods, meal breaks, and minimum wages” and avoiding the looming strike. However, Loeb also said the AMPTP is not making it easy on them:

“The pace of bargaining doesn’t reflect any sense of urgency,” Loeb warned. “Without an end date, we could keep talking forever. Our members deserve to have their basic needs addressed now.”

Following the IATSE’s announcement, the AMPTP released a statement of their own, seemingly reassuring workers they are willing to compromise and have faith an agreement will be reached. According to the AMPTP, “there are five whole days left to reach a deal, and the studios will continue to negotiate in good faith in an effort to reach an agreement for a new contract that will keep the industry working.” However, after months of failed negotiations, how this situation actually plays out is entirely up in the air.

Among the items the IATSE are bargaining to find resolutions for are: excessively unsafe and harmful working hours, unlivable wages for the lowest-paid crafts, consistent failure to provide reasonable rest during meal breaks, between workdays, and on weekends, and workers on certain “new media” streaming projects get paid less, even on productions with budgets that rival or exceed those of traditionally released blockbusters. Since the demands were made, countless Hollywood actors have voiced their support for crew members receiving better treatment by production companies, with Katherine Heigl going so far as to call crew member working conditions “cruel.”

According to a post made on the official IATSE Twitter account, the AMPTP has until the end of the weekend to reach an agreement with the union. If the two organizations fail to reach an agreement, the IATSE says that its “strung-along” union members “will have no choice but to go on strike” Monday, October 18.

Cardi B recently turned 29 years old and to celebrate, she threw a blowout, dancehall-themed birthday bash in Los Angeles attended by friends and collaborators like Chance The Rapper, Lizzo, Snoop Dogg, and more. And while the fashion was mainly in keeping with the theme, one star’s risque ensemble raised a ruckus on Twitter when photos from the party surfaced online, as fans battled over her controversial look.

Lizzo, with whom Cardi B collaborated on the former’s new hit single “Rumors,” attended the party in a revealing outfit consisting of a glittering purple mesh dress, nipple pasties, and black thong underwear. Just as in the past when Lizzo’s worn a revealing outfit, folks on Twitter had a plethora of thoughts.

Plenty of those reactions were negative, focusing on Lizzo’s body shape and deriding her for sharing so much of herself with the world. However, others came to her defense, pointing out that commenters didn’t have much to say about Rihanna when she wore a similar see-through dress at the 2014 CFDA Awards. In fact, Rihanna was celebrated and the dress has even become a popular Halloween costume. It seems that Lizzo and her looks will continue to cause controversy as long as she remains so unapologetic about her shape and society, on the whole, remains judgemental of women with larger bodies. Society can grow up, though, because there are far more pressing concerns than what a celebrity wears to her friend’s birthday party.

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

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is getting dragged on social media after people caught wind of a bizarre rant where he warns of South Americans in designer clothes invading… Connecticut? The whole thing went down on Hannity, of course, where Graham stopped by to rail against President Joe Biden’s administration for pulling back on raiding work sites to track down illegal aliens. According to Graham, this is going to lead to an apparently fabulous influx of Brazilians. Via The Independent:

“Now, what Mayorkas did today, calling off all the raids of work site, is going to be another incentive for people to come, because the word is out. You come, you claim asylum, you never leave. The policy choices of Biden are all over the world now,” Mr Graham said.

Continuing, Mr Graham claimed: “We had 40,000 Brazilians come through the Yuma sector alone, headed for Connecticut wearing designer clothes and Gucci bags”.

Now, Connecticut is a seemingly random state for Graham to single out considering it is nowhere near the southern border. The Independent reached out to his office for a statement on Graham’s source for his claims, and his spokesperson said that Graham had “just visited the Yuma sector.” So, apparently, we’re to believe that Lindsey Graham personally witnessed Brazilians with Gucci bags stating their intentions to storm New England. Interesting.

As for how Graham’s rant is going on social media, the dunks are coming in fast:

(Via The Independent, The Recount on Twitter)

Not a day goes by since his death nearly six years ago where the creative community doesn’t miss David Bowie and his uncompromising artistic vision. The singer, actor and visionary’s legacy is forever a cause for celebration and now as the date that would have been his 75th birthday approaches, two immersive Bowie 75 pop-up experiences have been announced.

Bowie 75 is taking place at 150 Wooster St in New York City’s SOHO neighborhood (near where Bowie lived) and at 14 Heddon Street in London, where the album covers of The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars were photographed. Each features experiences set to exclusive video and photos of Bowie content set to 360 Reality Audio, which uses Sony’s spatial sound technology to recreate the music exactly as Bowie heard it in a recording booth or on stage.

The locations have an on-site gallery documenting specific eras of Bowie, giving it all a museum-like feel. Of course there’s also a highly Instagrammable component where you can don one of Bowie’s signature costumes and take photos in front of thematic sets. The pop-ups are primarily retail-based, with apparel, memorabilia and limited run physical music available for purchase as well.

The stores will open on October 25th, running for 75 days leading up to Bowie’s 75th birthday on January 8th. Visit bowie75.com for additional event info, store hours and other announcements pertaining to the event.

It’s been several months since LA-based indie pop group The Marías dropped their debut album Cinema. Now expanding on the gauzy, elegant world they built surrounding their album, the groups share an equally opulent video to their Spanish-language track “Un Millón.”

Directed by Bethany Vargas, the mesmerizing video pays homage to the euphoria of the dancefloor. It opens with lead singer María Zardoya in a sea of moving bodies shaking their hips to the song’s snappy beat.

Written and produced entirely by Zardoya and bandmate Josh Conway in their LA apartment, Cinema draws inspiration from innovative filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar and Wes Anderson. “We want people to feel inspired to create anything, whether it’s music or art or whatever else they’re drawn to,” Zardoya said about the LP. “Hopefully the songs will help them to break away from real life for a while and create some kind of dream world in their heads – something like the scenes to their own little movie.”

Watch The Marías’ “Un Millón” video above and find their upcoming tour dates below:

01/26/2022 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
01/27/2022 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA
01/28/2022 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
01/29/2022 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
02/01/2022 – El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
02/03/2022 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
02/04/2022 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
02/05/2022 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
02/06/2022 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
02/08/2022 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
02/10/2022 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
02/11/2022 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
02/12/2022 – Carborro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
02/14/2022 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
02/17/2022 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
02/18/2022 – Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
02/19/2022 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
02/22/2022 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth
02/24/2022 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
02/26/2022 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
02/27/2022 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
03/02/2022 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
03/04/2022 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune
03/05/2022 – Vancouver, BC @ Venue
03/06/2022 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
03/08/2022 – Eugene, OR @ Sessions Music Hall
03/09/2022 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
03/11/2022 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
03/12/2022 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
03/13/2022 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo

Cinema is out now via Nice Life Recording/Atlantic. Get it here.

The Marías are a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The NFL’s investigation into the workplace culture surrounding the Washington Football Team led to a number of emails being unearthed that showed Jon Gruden, then an ESPN employee, using racist, homophobic, and other sorts of derogatory language in conversations with then-general manager Bruce Allen. Gruden has since resigned from his post as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in the aftermath.

While the NFL has made clear it will not release the more than 600,000 emails it has unearthed as part of that investigation, the Los Angeles Times highlighted a collection of emails that were filed in federal court earlier this year. Among them was a 2011 correspondence between Allen and ESPN’s Adam Schefter, in which Schefter sent Allen a piece he wrote on the NFL’s lockout and made clear that Allen was free to offer up revisions.

“Please let me know if you see anything that should be added, changed, tweaked,” Schefter wrote, per the LA Times. “Thanks, Mr. Editor, for that and the trust. Plan to file this to espn about 6 am ….”

While Schefter’s ability to get scoops has never been questioned, he has toed (or straight up crossed) lines relating to journalistic ethics in the past. In the aftermath, both Schefter and ESPN have come under a wave of criticism for how this all played out — and sparked plenty of conversation about how journalists should deal with sources.

In a statement to the Times, ESPN said the following about Schefter’s email: “Without sharing all the specifics of the reporter’s process for a story from 10 years ago during the NFL lockout, we believe that nothing is more important to Adam and ESPN than providing fans the most accurate, fair and complete story.”

The Brooklyn Nets announced Tuesday morning that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving “will not play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant.” At the moment, under New York City protocols, Irving becoming eligible to fully participate means receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, which he has staunchly opposed to this point and will reportedly continue to do, even amid Tuesday’s news. Until that sentiment changes, if it ever does, the Nets will continue on without him as they pursue a title.

Wednesday, James Harden spoke with the assembled media and said he and the team “respect” Irving’s conviction in his beliefs, but said his own goal remains a championship and that he has not spoken with Irving since Tuesday’s development.

“We all love Kai. But as far as us, we have a job to do. And individually, myself, I’m still wanting to set myself up for a championship,” Harden said, via James Herbert. “I feel like the entire organization is on the same path and we’re a collective unit. So, we’ll keep pushing forward and we’ll try to do our best every single day to get better and keep going as a collective unit.”

Regarding Brooklyn’s decision to bar Irving from joining the team as a part-time member, Harden said “we had conversations as a collective unit,” but that he did not have input in the final verdict.

“I can only state my opinion and we’re gonna continue to move forward,” he said. “Obviously, we would love to have Kyrie here. I think for us, we just gotta focus on the guys in this locker room that’s here, that’s putting in the work every single day. That’s all we can control. That’s all we can focus on.”