Animal abuse was the seedy underbelly not always the focus of the Netflix smash hit Tiger King, but according to reports the former animal preserve for the imprisoned Joe Exotic was raided by federal authorities.
Exotic, the star of Tiger King who is still in jail as a result of a murder-for-hire plot, is seeking a pardon for his crimes. But another person involved in the show, who took over after the zoo was closed, is in hot water for the condition of the animals at the Tiger King Park in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
According to NPR, Jeff and Lauren Lowe were running the ranch when 68 lions, tigers, lion-tiger hybrids and a jaguar were seized over a three-day period in May. The raid was part of an investigation into the wellness of the animals that stemmed from violations of animal welfare laws after operating the park without a license.
“The Lowes have consistently failed to provide their Big Cats with a diet containing the necessary nutrients to allow them to grow properly and thrive,” the affidavit says.
During a December 2020 visit to the park, inspectors found that boneless chicken was the only food available for the big cats, which doesn’t fulfill the animals’ nutritional needs. When asked for a list of supplements that the animals were receiving, the facility named a horse weight-gain supplement called Gleam & Gain, which does not provide the necessary diet for big cats, according to authorities.
The affidavit says the impact of the poor diet could be seen in the animals, several of which appeared to be suffering from stunted growth, lameness, neurological abnormalities and skin lesions.
The details of the animals’ condition is heartbreaking, but officials said the animals would be moved to other preserves where they would hopefully be treated better. While no real consequences seem to be on the way for the Loews, without animals it seems like it would be difficult to keep the facility made famous by Tiger King up and running.
In today’s “What century is this again?” news, a high school in St. Johns County, Florida is under the spotlight for its bizarro Photoshop attempt to eliminate all evidence of girls’ breast tissue in its yearbook photos.
Dozens of female students at Bartram Trail High School have had their yearbook photos edited to have their cleavage removed, causing an outcry from students and parents. Reporter Ben Ryan of Action News Jax out of Jacksonville investigated the story and shared examples of some before and after photos on Twitter, explaining that the before photos were deemed “inappropriate” by the school.
This is a before and after yearbook photo taken of Bartram Trail 9th grade high school student, Riley O’Keefe.
Students and parents said that at least 60 photos were edited like this—some of them badly—to erase all traces of cleavage from girls’ chests. The school confirmed that the number was actually 80, all of them girls. (This is not the first time something like this has happened. A Utah school came under fire for the same thing a few years back.)
We’re not talking deep, plunging necklines here. The photos Ryan shared on Twitter show scoop neck shirts and v-neck sweaters that just happen to show a crease where breasts come together at the top as breasts tend to do.
One student, 9th grader Zoe Iannone told Action News Jax that she felt confident that she had looked good and was within the school’s dress code when she went to school that day, but that changed when she saw her edited photo. “When I sent it to my mom and all of us saw it, I felt very sexualized, like that was what they were worrying about,” she said.
Ninth grader Riley O’Keefe, featured in the above photos, told Action News she had worn the same outfit to school and had been told it was fine. Seeing the edited photo in the yearbook made her feel uncomfortable, and she decided to speak up about it for girls who might not feel comfortable saying something.
“You’re not only affecting their photo, it’s not just for protecting them, you’re making them uncomfortable and feel like their bodies aren’t acceptable in a yearbook,” she said.
“You’re not only affecting their photo, it’s not just for protecting them, you’re making them uncomfortable and fee… https://t.co/IbgaC40KcT
“Bartram Trail High School’s previous procedure was to not include student pictures in the yearbook that they deemed in violation of the student code of conduct, so the digital alterations were a solution to make sure all students were included in the yearbook. At this point the school is offering refunds to any parents calling about this issue. The school is receiving feedback from parents/guardians/students on making this process better for next year.”
The school said it offered to refund parents’ yearbook money, but the damage was already done. Students and parents told Ryan they understood what the school was trying to do, but that they went too far.
“Our daughters of Bartram deserve an apology,” one anonymous mother said. “They are making them feel embarrassed about who they are.”
Another mother told First Coast News that her daughter was being bullied after the photo edits made her a target.
Digitally altered yearbook photos angering parents in St. Johns County
As of this afternoon, Ryan was unable to get any interviews with or additional responses from the school.
School dress codes have been under fire for some time now, as stories of girls being sent home for wearing outfits most people would not consider immodest have repeatedly gone viral. But these girls were not in violation of the school’s dress codes, and photoshopping cleavage out of photos is just strange. Someone is looking for a problem where one doesn’t exist, and placing the blame for the fictional problem on the wrong parties.
If someone sees a fold of skin at the top of a shirt in a high school yearbook and starts thinking dirty thoughts, that’s on the viewer, 100 percent. There may be some people who think zero cleavage should ever be seen anywhere, but that’s neither realistic or reasonabled. Unless you’re wearing a turtleneck, cleavage happens with most fashionable clothing. And it happens more for some girls than others. Cleavage is literally just skin and tissue being pressed together—no one is showing actual cuppage or nipples or anything of the sort in these photos.
All this kind of policing does is make girls feel weird about their bodies and ashamed of the way their breasts come together at the top. It’s unnecessary, controlling nonsense and it needs to stop. People can rightfully debate where a line should be drawn when it comes to appropriate yearbook photo attire, but a little bit of cleavage definitely should not be that line.
We work hard at Upworthy to bring you humanity at its best to counter all of the negative stories that get far too much attention. As part of that commitment, we’ve started making lists of the positive news stories we come across each week that make us especially happy.
Some of them have been shared on our platform, while some we didn’t quite have the time to get to, but still believe they deserve some attention.
What made you smile this week? Share it with us in the comments.
1. Cranes are returning to Ireland for the first time in 300 years
Cranes: Flying giant returning to Ireland after 300 years https://t.co/XZwpGsD7F2 https://t.co/8gqijpanCB
The crane is an important figure in Irish folklore but sadly has been missing from the country for three centuries. Over the past two years, a few have reappeared during mating season and ecologists hope they will re-establish their population.
2. School bus driver says kindergartners’ relentless questioning made armed hijacker let them go
.@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Hero bus driver Kenneth Corbin speaks out about how he kept his cool and kept children safe d… https://t.co/Bl24wI7mYh
A school bus driver in South Carolina was honored for thwarting an attempted hijacking. However, he says the true heroes are his kindergarten passengers who peppered the hijacker with relentless questions.
3. Sister memorializes her deceased brother with Masters dissertation
Molly Schiller lost her brother six years ago to a heart condition. She just submitted her Masters dissertation researching the condition that took him from her.
4. Marcus Rashford: British soccer player becomes youngest to top Sunday Times Giving List
via Wikimedia Commons
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, 23, was honored for successfully lobbying the UK government to continue providing free school meals during the coronavirus lockdown. He has since formed a child poverty task force, linking up with some of the nation’s biggest supermarkets and food brands.
5. This is what inclusion looks like
Kudos to Tumble Activity for giving disabled people what they deserve. All spaces should be designed and built with different abilities in mind.
6. A Sikh man becomes the first fan ever inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame
Today was a dream.
In the greatest building basketball has, the name Superfan Nav Bhatia will be immortalized.There… https://t.co/YikavjSXH7
— Nav Bhatia Superfan (@superfan_nav) 1621212118.0
Toronto Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia’s name was immortalized over the weekend when he joined the ranks of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Wilt Chamberlain in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Bhatia became the first fan ever inducted because for being a wonderful example of how sports can bring people together.
7. Boy gets 3D-printed hands, grips bottle for the first time
Boy gets 3D-printed hands, grips bottle for first time | CNN Video https://t.co/i08Lzg0jfm #innovation… https://t.co/j18q3AgF8B
For music writers and music lovers alike, Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical Almost Famous has long been a tried and true standby reflecting the glory days of early rock and roll in all their gritty reality. The film’s soundtrack has become an equally beloved artifact, and now an expanded box set version with CDs, vinyl, and plenty of bonus items is being released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the movie. Crowe said he’s eager to share the new project and celebrate physical media as a method of preserving the film’s impact.
“We are extremely proud to revisit Almost Famous with a very special bounty of goodness,” Cameron Crowe said of the set. “For the first time, we’ve created a Deluxe Soundtrack that features nearly every song from the film, along with Nancy Wilson’s wonderfully evocative score. We’re also thrilled to finally preserve both versions of the film, along with a collection of rare new bonus features, on these beautiful new 4K and Blu-ray releases as part of Paramount Presents. Long live physical media!”
For collectors who really want to get a sense of the Almost Famous world, the inclusion of a 40-page photo book and memoir housed in a film-prop-replica of William Miller’s high-school notebook complete with writings by Cameron Crowe, Nancy Wilson, and from cast and crew members will be the deciding factor. The set also includes the first-ever complete William Miller cover story on Stillwater as a 1973 Rolling Stone newsprint; two replica ticket stubs from Stillwater’s San Diego and Cleveland concerts; and a Stillwater tour poster.
The thirteen-disc Uber Deluxe box includes 6 LPs in black and colored vinyl, a 5 CD super deluxe set, 2 CD deluxe edition, the original soundtrack on 2 LPs and two Stillwater vinyl EPs, along with all the memorabilia listed above. For those looking for a slightly smaller set, the label is also releasing two six-LP editions, on black or colored vinyl, a five-CD Super Deluxe set including 102 tracks with 36 being previously unreleased songs, a separate 12-inch vinyl EP with the six Stillwater songs; a Record Store Day exclusive with the seven original demos of the Stillwater songs (Five performed by Wilson the other two by Frampton) a two-LP vinyl version of the original soundtrack album, and a two-CD deluxe edition of the original soundtrack. All of these new editions will be out this summer on July 9th.
Twitch has finally ruled that it’s not against its rules to be deemed attractive. It’s the latest and official word in the saga of “hot tub meta” that’s taken over the platform in recent weeks, though the official decision that it’s not explicitly against the platform’s rules did come with some changes.
If you’re just catching up here, the rise of people streaming in pools and hot tubs has created a dilemma for Twitch, one they finally addressed on Friday. Often the people streaming in hot tubs or pools have done so in bathing suits, usually women in bikinis, which are often deemed inappropriate by content guidelines unless they are worn while someone is in water. Hence the rise of inflatable pools, jacuzzis and other tubs being used as part of the fad.
“Hot tub meta” has likely helped “Just Chatting” become Twitch’s most-viewed category, eclipsing “let’s play” tutorials of “League of Legends” and “Grand Theft Auto V,” according to Insider.
“I think it’s pretty universal that people like seeing pretty ladies in bikinis,” said Spoopy Kitt, an anonymous streamer who has 60,000 followers on the Amazon-owned platform. Spoopy, who regularly talks to viewers while riding on an inflatable lobster, added that “hot tubs have become the new and effective way streamers are using to ‘win the game.’”
Unfortunately, many Twitch users are none too thrilled with the titillating pastime, which they feel cheapens the platform’s brand.
Hot tub meta has become a huge topic of discussion in gaming, as the larger discussion about what’s a violation of nudity rules can quickly get into the weeds. Which is why an official comment on the issue is big news. On Friday, Twitch published an official update on ‘Hot Tub Streams’ on its blog that ruled, while most are not against the rules, many of those streams will be moved to the platform’s new “Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches” section created specifically to address the situation.
“While we have guidelines about sexually suggestive content, being found to be sexy by others is not against our rules,” the post said. “And Twitch will not take enforcement action against women, or anyone on our service, for their perceived attractiveness.”
At issue here is, well, a number of things. But in the streaming world, advertising and monetization is always at the heart of things. While some streamers have amassed huge numbers of viewers through these streams, advertisers may not want their products associated with the trend and decided not to put ads on these streams. Which is why siloing the content off and letting those advertisers opt out of the section is part of the motivation for this decision.
“This is not intended to be our long-term solution to improve brand targeting capabilities and increase personalization in our recommendations,” the blog post said. “It does, however, solve a few issues for all audiences in the near term.”
That doesn’t solve the questions of age appropriateness, context and subjectivity that make all of this complicated in the first place. And the “Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches” section is supposed to be a temporary stopgap measure. But it’s a sign Twitch is trying to figure things out, which is good news for inflatable lobster enthusiasts.
Today Melbourne rising pop star Banoffee released some of her first new music since last year’s Look At Us Now album, which came out a few weeks before the pandemic was beginning to settle over American life. The new single, “Tapioca Cheeks,” comes with a choreography-heavy video featuring the artist herself, and she describes the song as a reflection of the feelings of fear that come along with getting close to someone. “It’s about the fears that come with diving in with someone,” she said of the track. “How love can be awful as well as wonderful at the same time, because it’s just so damn scary. ‘Tapioca Cheeks’ is a dedication to someone, for them to feel loved and held even when they feel completely incapable or unlovable.”
Written just before the pandemic hit during a recording session in LA with PC Music’s Planet 1999, the song builds on the subtle, shimmering pop sound she established on last year’s full-length. The video added another layer to the song’s meaning for her, though. Through filming it became “A song about the inescapable feeling of loving someone who doesn’t love you back. I made the video with these feelings in mind. The bubbles signifying a feeling I cannot help but expel from my body, a love that is involuntary.”
When it comes to adult beverages in a can, beer is the real supreme and has been for a long time. Meanwhile canned, ready-to-drink cocktails have fostered a cult following thanks to hard seltzers like White Claw. Canned wine, on the other hand, has taken longer to catch on. In 2020, the canned category captured the smallest portion of wine sales at just $200 million, according to Market Watch.
You could say that wine drinkers are traditionalists. They want their juice in a glass from a bottle.
This is starting to change, though. Thanks to trendy packaging, better marketing, and social media campaigns on top of new regulations that allow canned wine to be sold in packs AND individually, and — most importantly — better wine, canned vino is starting to rev up in the U.S. And experts are expecting the category to double in sales this year. Not to mention, more producers are starting to dabble in canned wines, so drinkers are seeing more options in stores (which is thereby push brands to deliver higher quality, etc.)
With so many newbies entering the playing field, we felt now would be a good time to test out a few canned wines and canned wine spritzers. And while all of the wines listed are worth cracking open at the beach or park, some of them were better than others. So we ranked them all and included tasting notes.
If you want to buy them, click the links in the price points below.
Right in time for summer comes this can of vinho verde recently launched by Gazela. The slim and vibrant can is all too telling of the juice inside, which is equally bright and refreshing with just 87 calories per serving. Not to mention, if you ever need more of it, you can always snag the standard 750 ml bottle, which is similarly comprised of native Portuguese grapes loureiro, pedernã, trajadura, and azal.
Tasting Notes:
This wine smells fresh with notes of citrus and spiky blades of grass. The palate is light, vibrant, and as easy-drinking as a glass of water. You’ll taste notes of sour lemon, lime zest, plus green and yellow apples on the first sip, while a slight effervescence amplifies the fruit flavors in the quick finish.
Bottom Line:
If you like pinot grigio but are looking for something with just a splash more pizazz — and in a can — you can’t go wrong with this one.
This boozy grapefruit-in-a-can hails from Washington state. It’s made with a blend of white wine and natural grapefruit. And though it ranks high on the ABV meter, the alcohol is only noticeable in the effect — not the taste.
Bonus: This brand also makes passionfruit-flavored wine-in-a-can as well as sparkling rosé canned wine that are both also worth checking out.
Tasting Notes:
Pop the can open and you’re greeted with smells of ripe citrus fruits. Drinking this wine-in-a-can is almost like licking a grapefruit and immediately gulping down a glass of pinot gris. No two tastes overpower the other. Instead, the light-bodied wine and grapefruit flavor work in harmony. Although the spritz could have used a bit more spritzing, it’s still refreshing and enjoyable on the palate.
Bottom Line:
What’s great about this spritzer is how balanced it is in taste. It’s a good pick for those who love grapefruit cocktails but don’t particularly enjoy the alcoholic bite.
Now this is grab-and-go rosé. A delicate blend of syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cinsault, and grenache, there’s absolutely no difference between this can and the standard rosé blends made by California’s 14 Hands winery.
Tasting Notes:
This wine is soft on the nose and on the palate. It smells of macerated rhubarb and rose petals while it tastes of strawberries and honeydew melon. Although it’s easy-drinking and glides through the mouth and down the throat with an incredibly smooth texture, this wine has a noticeable body that gets a lift from a spray of citrus in the backend of the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is simply good rosé. Whether you’re by the pool drinking it out of a wine glass or at the park crushing it in a can, it’s going to be satisfying for the senses.
Bright and crisp, this is absolutely the juice you want to drink at the beach, just as its name suggests. The blend of pinot noir, grenache, barbera, and syrah grapes used for this wine comes from the Central Coast of California — in case you needed any more indication that this is a can of rosé you need in your cooler this beach season.
Tasting Notes:
This wine opens up with fruity and floral notes. It’s a total thirst quencher with waves of strawberry and watermelon that drench the palate like a high tide. Then comes a note of cranberry that cleans it all up for a dry and refreshing finish.
Bottom Line:
This is the rosé to cool you down while you’re baking in the sun at the beach all summer.
One sip of this and you’d never guess this red wine blend of Californian syrah, petite sirah, petite verdot, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon came out of a can. It’s rich with dark fruit and full of body.
It can go toe-to-toe with some of the premium bottles of red wines currently topping store shelves, and it’s got the accolades to prove it. WineSociety’s red blend won a platinum medal at the 2019 International Wine & Spirits Competition, making it the highest rated wine in a can out.
Tasting Notes:
The nose of this wine is balanced with fruit and spice. It’s full and dark with black and red cherries and purple plum flavors. Mid sip you’ll get a kick of ground pepper and velvety tannins— naturally occurring polyphenol in plants, seeds, and fruit skins that influence a wine’s astringency — that stretches out the long finish.
Bottom Line:
You’ll want a stockpile of this red wine in a can at your next barbecue. It will pair well with a saucy rack of ribs, brisket and even grilled chops. WineSociety also makes canned white blend and rosé options to pair with your lighter summer dishes.
Straight out of Italy comes this sparkling blend of sangiovese and montepulciano. It’s as light as a summer breeze and as smooth as the pebbled banks of Capri. What’s even better is that the folks at Ramona source their grapes from vineyards in Abruzzo that are organically farmed.
Tasting Notes:
This can of wine smells of red berries and cream while the palate is saturated with more red fruit and grapefruit notes. The bubbles on this sparkling wine are the standout. They’re like tiny little needle pins bouncing around vivaciously in the mouth, yet goes down so smooth. The finish is crisp, with a bit of acidity in the end.
Bottom Line:
Now you can take your sparkling rosé on the road without needing a glass or a bottle opener to enjoy it. Doesn’t get any better than that.
4. She Can Sauvignon Blanc, McBride Sisters Collection
This playful sauvignon blanc is just one of the many offerings of the McBride Sisters Collection. It tastes exactly like a New Zealand sauv blanc should: Bright, refreshing, zesty, and tropical.
Tasting Notes:
This wine smells like an oasis of fresh citrus fruit and salty sea air. It’s jumping with flavors of kiwi, lime zest, and melon while notes of lemongrass and meringue dance in the background. Splashes of acidity bring it all together for a memorable finish.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of the McBride Sisters’ bottle-sized sauvignon blanc, then you’ll love this little cutie in a can.
If a bottle of Australian rosé got together with a pitcher of lemonade and had a baby, this would be their lovechild.
For starters, the packaging is on-point. You want to be seen pulling these out of the cooler at the outdoor function. Secondly, the juice inside the can is just as cool as the outside label. And that spritz? Hella refreshing.
Tasting Notes:
You can smell the refreshment on this wine. Yup, the sweet nectar of lemons muddled with sugar is prevelant on the nose, and it all intertwines with subtle fragrances of berries. Notes of lemon and toasted sesame hit your tastebuds on the first sip. All that zesty deliciousness gets a lift from red berries, and everything comes together with crunchy acidity and a thirst-quenching burst of tart in the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is the canned wine you want to show off in all your beach day Instagram pics, and you’ll probably get as many likes from those you share it with irl.
There’s a reason why you see cans of Underwood Pinot Noir literally everywhere. Everyone loves it — and for good reason. The folks at Union Wine Co., which produces all the Oregon-grown Underwood wine, set the benchmark for canned wine.
Tasting Notes:
Plum, cherry cola, grenadine. These are the aromas that smack you in the face when you pop the top on this canned wine. The palate is smooth with a bounty of red, black, and blueberry flavors. It’s a light, dry-leaning pinot noir that gets some character from notes of spice in the lingering finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a quality pinot noir that’s worth the price for a canned wine.
Don’t you just hate when you order a mimosa at brunch and you receive a flute full of orange juice and a splash of sparkling wine? Well, here’s an alternative: Mayne & Co.’s can of Italian sparkling wine with just a splash of organic California OJ. Honestly, the wine to juice ratio is quite perfect for those of us who actually want to taste the wine in our brunch cocktails.
Tasting Notes:
You can hear those bubbles bubbling when you open this can, and instantly, the nose is flooded with orange aromas. On the palate, the orange juice is subtle, fresh, and a little tart. It blends perfectly with the stone-fruit flavors of the wine. The mimosa is soft on the palate but features some acidity in the finish that gives the whole thing some complexity.
Bottom Line:
Why open your money on a carton of orange juice for those homemade mimosas when you know you only want a tidbit mixed in your sparkling wine anyway? These little cans are truly a proper mimosa pour and deserve a permanent placement in your fridge.
Bernard was appointed to oversee X’s estate and the Bad Vibes Forever label, but Pack has also been designated a beneficiary. According to the paperwork he filed with the the Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Broward County, Fla. on May 14, Pack is due 25% of assets belong to the rapper born Jahseh Onfroy. A beneficiary as of November 7, 2012, his irrevocable trust is dated for March 4, 2019. Pack accuses Bernard of trying to “further defraud, delay, hinder and frustrate [his ability to] recover the beneficial interest in such assets.” Because of this, Pack is suing for monetary damages of $30,000, along with legal fees, interest, and his fair share of the estate.
Pack’s suit comes on the heels of a suit his own mother, Jodi Kavney, filed against Bernard on behalf of her son last summer. That suit once again accused X’s mother of transfering over $11 million in assets over to her own accounts, without properly dispersing a cut to Pack. X’s estate left behind over $50 million, with fifty percent designated to the label, which remains in Bernard’s control.
The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from City Girls, Lil Baby, and more.
Whew. What a week. The dormant music industry must have set a collective alarm clock for the third week in May to return because new releases came back with a vengeance. Sada Baby tapped into his techno roots with Big Sean on “Little While,” J. Cole continued his Off-Season rollout with the “Amari” video, Tobe Nwigwe released his new video for “Fye Fye,” Joyner Lucas recruited a few famous friends for his over-the-top “Zim Zimma” video, and Lil Tjay lent a lyrical assist to Lil Zay Osama on “Emotions.”
Friday saw the releases of videos for Polo G and Lil Wayne’s “Gang Gang,” Lil Baby’s “We Win” with Kirk Franklin, City Girls’ “Twerkulator,” and 42 Dugg’s “Maybach” featuring Future, along with the releases listed below.
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending May 21, 2021.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
42 Dugg — Free Dem Boyz
42 Dugg
Emerging Detroit superstar owes about 10 percent of his success to a fortuitous meeting with Lil Baby, who signed him to 4PF, and the rest to his own gumption and gift for narrative, as illustrated on his debut album.
Benny the Butcher & 38 Spesh — Trust the Sopranos
Benny the Butcher
On this joint tape, Benny takes the lead role as the established vet, lending some of his spotlight to Rochester’s longtime underground fixture 38 Spesh. This one is their third pairing, hence the coolly connected chemistry between the two, but their first since Benny blew up, lending a lot more attention to their efforts.
FCG Heem — Neighborhood Poetry
FCG Heem
Fort Lauderdale, Florida rising star FCG Heem casually turns traumatic tales into lyrical gold on his debut album, which features NoCap, Pooh Shiesty, and Toosii.
Icewear Vezzo — Rich Off Pints
Icewear Vezzo
As Michigan’s burgeoning underground scene (is it drill? is it trap? is it grime?) takes over more of hip-hop’s coverage, Vezzo arrives with a new EP to take full advantage.
Mach-Hommy — Pray for Haiti
Mach-Hommy
Mach-Hommy is the latest beneficiary of the increased scope and interest in battle rap and throwback New York traditionalism, as he drops a collection of bruising punchlines over beefy, soul-loop-and-breakbeat style instrumentals.
Patrick Paige II — If I Fail Are We Still Cool?
Patrick Paige II
Patrick Paige II is probably best recognized as a member of LA hipster funk band The Internet (several members of which, including Syd and Steve Lacy, make appearances here), but on this new solo effort, he more than proves he can carry his own weight.
Sa-Roc — The Sharecropper’s Daughter (Deluxe Edition)
Sa-Roc
One of 2020’s most underrated projects gets an update featuring a previously unheard verse from the late MF DOOM, giving everyone who slept not just a second chance to check it out, but also more incentive to do so.
SpotEmGottem — Most Wanted
SpotEmGottem
He’s best known as the artist behind viral favorite “Beat Box,” but this Jacksonville native has a lot more to say on his latest mixtape, which sounds like a cross between millennial Cash Money favorites and fellow Floridian Kodak Black.
YG & Mozzy — Kommunity Service
YG & Mozzy
West up! YG and Mozzy, two longtime fixtures of the California gangsta rap scene (and beyond), team up to double their appeal, as YG returns the increasingly thoughtful Mozzy to his grimy roots while Mozzy inspires YG to heretofore unseen lyrical heights.
Young M.A — Off the Yak
Young M.A
Young M.A has quietly kept up an impressively consistent stream of beats-and-bars-focused single releases, which have culminated in her latest album release featuring Fivio Foreign and Rubi Rose.
Yung Baby Tate — After the Rain (Deluxe)
Yung Baby Tate
Tate’s Issa Rae-backed 2020 release gets an upgrade — one that fans have been eagerly awaiting for months — with six new songs and an increased focus on singing over rapping.
Singles/Videos
Paris Bryant — “Mad Mad”
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, this youngster introduces himself with an A Boogie/Lil Tjay/TJ Porter-esque melodic flow that portends good things in the future — especially with Cinematic Records backing him.
P-Lo — “Going Off”
After assisting fellow Bay Area FilAm fixture Guapdad 4000 on 1176, P-Lo is back showing off on vacation in Tulum.
Sean Kingston — “Darkest Times” Feat. G Herbo
It’s been a while since the girls were so beautiful they made Sean Kingston want to off himself, but he’s back, realigned, and fully locked into the modern style of melodic semi-rapping that everyone seems to be using these days, which really works for him.
Skyzoo — “St. James Liquors” Feat. Aaria
New York traditionalist Skyzoo always satisfies.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The latest wave of protest and social awareness of the Civil Rights Movement in America had many readdressing the way they view policing and the safety of people of color in the country, and that included how we entertain ourselves. Shows like Cops and Live PD a were a main focal point of that discussion of police action as entertainment, and now one state seems poised to end filming police reality TV shows altogether after the death of a man in police custody while cameras were rolling.
Texas is reportedly on the verge of making shows like Live PD illegal to film in the Lone Star State following the 2019 death of a man in police custody which was filmed as part of a Live PD taping. The New York Times reported Friday about the measure, which recently passed the Texas legislature and awaits signature from governor Greg Abbott. The bill would ban the filming of police reality TV shows in the state, meaning trouble for the already-maligned Live PD and other reality shows focused on police action on civilians.
The bill, which the Legislature passed with bipartisan support on May 13, is named after Javier Ambler II, a 40-year-old father of two who died in 2019 after Williamson County officers forcibly arrested him in front of a “Live PD” camera crew.
Mr. Ambler’s sister, Kimberly Ambler-Jones, 39, said she believed that her brother would still be alive if the television crews had not been filming. “Because they had ‘Live PD’ there, it had to be hyped up,” she said. “It had to be drama.”
Ambler’s death was a mystery to his family for months, and footage of his arrest never made it to air. The Times story specifically called out Cops and Live PD as shows unable to film in Texas, noting others that detail animal control or other activities would get a pass. But the measure certainly represents a reevaluation of what is classified as entertainment, and the impact that filming police activity as entertainment can have on those being policed. Despite decades of success for Cops and similar shows, the people taken into custody on those shows are real, and the consequences of what’s filmed can, unfortunately, be as deadly as any other interaction with authorities.
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