Category: News

Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns are the NBA’s hottest team at the moment, having won seven straight with their most impressive coming on Wednesday night, taking down the Utah Jazz in an overtime thriller, 117-113.

It was a sensational game, one that made fans hungry for a potential playoff series between the two, although at this point the only way that likely happens is if they meet in the Western Conference Finals. The stars for each team played about as well as they could, with Donovan Mitchell leading all scorers with 41 points (with eight rebounds and three assists) and Devin Booker pacing Phoenix with 35. However, it was the play of the elder statesman in Chris Paul that made the difference in the Suns win, as the Point God had 29 points and nine assists, including the two free throws to put the game on ice at the end of overtime.

Down the stretch, Paul was seemingly automatic from the midrange, hitting pullup after pullup from the free throw line extended area on his way to 16 fourth quarter points.

It is truly incredible how the 35-year-old Paul continues to be one of the NBA’s elite point guards, controlling the pace of the game even as he may have lost some of the burst he had as a younger player, replacing it with cunning, guile, and a patience that is unmatched. He also maybe revealed the secret to his longevity on the bench, as he was drinking from a bottle labeled “Chris’ Secret Stuff” on the bench.

It’s a pretty funny nod to Space Jam — and maybe a little marketing assistance for his friend LeBron James’ upcoming Space Jam 2 — and there are plenty of players in the league that would love a magic elixir to make you play like Chris Paul. Unfortunately, just like in the movie, it’s just some Gatorade and it’s all about what’s been inside all along, which few have ever been able to match with Paul.

Last month, Benny The Butcher dropped his The Plugs I Met 2 EP, which featured production exclusively from Harry Fraud. The nine-track effort presented features from 2 Chainz, Fat Joe, Rick Hyde, French Montana, Jim Jones, and the late Chinx. Aiming to keep it alive for a bit longer, Benny and Hyde join forces for a reflective video for “Survivor’s Remorse.” In the visual, the two rappers take viewers on a trip through their past lives and discuss the close calls they encountered, all of which would have resulted in unfortunate circumstances if things did not go in their favor.

The Plugs I Met 2 is the sequel to Benny’s highlight 2018 project, but the second installation in the series didn’t arrive without some controversy. After hearing Fat Joe’s verse on one of the project’s song, “Talkin’ Back,” a number of fans criticized the rapper for anti-Asian comments. On it, Fat Joe raps, “Track me in and out of court, Harvey Weinstein / Threw that white up in the pot, gave ’em pipe dreams / And watch it spread like the Wuhan virus / Do ’em dirty for the low like Wu-Tang ’Sirus (ODB).” He later responded to the backlash in a tweet, writing, “I’ll adress the Benny verse i did that verse a year ago when the news was calling it the wuhan virus before they called it COVID i support and love all my asian brothers and sisters never hate.”

You can watch the “Survivor’s Remorse” video above.

The Plugs I Met 2 is out now via Black Soprano Family. Get it here.

Twenty years ago, Australian band The Avalanches emerged with their debut album, Since I Left You. Two decades later, The Avalanches and its remaining members, Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi, are returning with a 20th anniversary deluxe edition of the album, and they shared the news with a new remix of the project’s title track.

De La Soul’s de facto fourth member, Prince Paul, who has also reworked songs by the likes of Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Queen Latifah, and more, is responsible for the exhilarating remix. The reissue of the band’s debut, which arrives on June 4, is jam-packed with bonus tracks and additional unreleased remixes that the band held in the vault over the years. It also includes appearances from Black Dice, Leon Vynehall, Sinkane, Carl Craig, and the late MF DOOM.

In a press release, Chater spoke about the original album. “I remember very clearly a few things,” he said. “We decided to not have any of our voices on it, which made it last because it’s a kind of transmission; nothing date-stamps it to that time.” He added, “Looking back, I’m proud of this record as a pure expression of joy and love, heart on its sleeve and is free from irony.”

The 20th anniversary edition of Since I Left You will be released in three formats — vinyl, CD, and digital — and will feature 33, 39, and 33 tracks respectively. The CD release also includes The Avalanches’ remixes of songs by Belle & Sebastian, Manic Street Preachers, Franz Ferdinand and more.

You can listen to “Since I Left You (Prince Paul Remix)” above.

The new voter laws enacted by Republicans in Georgia are so extreme — and so clearly intended to limit voters who may vote for Democrats — that even corporations came out against them. Coke, Delta, even the MLB, who moved this year’s All-Star game from Atlanta to Denver, have publicly condemned the changes. That’s led conservatives to condemn the condemnation, but when Mitch McConnell told those companies to stay out of politics — while still donating to campaigns, of course — his double standard got him roundly mocked.

Trevor Noah joined in on the dunking. On Wednesday’s The Daily Show, the host played the viral clip of the former Senate Majority Leader scolding companies. “Republicans buy stock, fly on planes, drink Coca-Cola. It is quite stupid to jump in the middle of a highly controversial issue,” he said. He then tried to clarify that politicians still need their money. “I’m not talking about political contributions. Most of them contribute to both sides, they have political action committees, that’s fine, it’s legal, it’s appropriate, I support it.”

Naoh boiled down what McConnell was really saying: “Keep your mouth shut and hand over the money!”, adding, “That’s literally what bank robbers say.”

The Daily Show host also pointed out that McConnell is to blame anyway. “It’s hilarious, since he helped create the situation where they are so dependent on campaign money that the corporations write the laws. The monster you created is coming after you!” he said. “By the way, I like how McConnell is upset they would take a position on a highly controversial issue. It would be weird if Coca-Cola came out and said, “It is nice to sleep in on the weekend!”

You can watch the segment in the tweet embedded above.

Demetrious Johnson is a legend in the world of mixed martial arts, having lorded over the UFC’s flyweight division for years before departing the company for ONE Championship in 2018 after a split decision loss to Henry Cejudo. Johnson won his first three fights in ONE, and finally had his long-awaited showdown with flyweight champ Adriano Moraes on Wednesday night in the main event of ONE on TNT 1.

In the second round of the fight, Johnson and many fans here in the states were introduced to one of the big differences in rules for ONE Championship compared to UFC and other MMA entities that mostly hold fights in the United States, as Moraes knocked Johnson out with a brutal knee to the side of the head while Johnson was grounded.

The fight was held in Singapore, which meant that type of move is allowed and Johnson caught the wrong end of an absolutely vicious knee from Moraes, going out cold. It was a wild finish, and that it came one fight after Eddie Alvarez was disqualified for punches to the back of the head had many fans a bit quizzical about what is and isn’t allowed in ONE.

In any case, Johnson was handed the first knockout loss of his career — he’d previously had three decision losses — and Moraes made quite the statement in ONE’s first TNT broadcast event.

On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that a number of former Trump administration staffers — including Elaine Chao, former Secretary of Transportation and also wife to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — are having trouble getting new jobs. The stink from the former president, made all the more rancid from the events of Jan. 6, is so pungent that the public sector wants nothing to do with them. But the same doesn’t apply to Trump’s number two. On the very same day as the Post‘s report, Mike Pence signed a seven-figure deal for not one but two books.

The first, scheduled to hit shelves in 2023, is, of course, a memoir. What will he leave in? What will leave out? What could he say about his former partner-in-crime, who three months ago left him at the mercy of his violent supporters, some of who wished to lynch him? Whatever he dishes, he’s receiving somewhere between $3 million and $4 million for the efforts.

It’s all but inevitable that everyone involved with the previous administration — not the least being Trump himself — will eventually sign some lucrative book deal. But seeing as the dust has still not settled from the chaotic final months of the last presidency, many on social media felt it was, for one thing, too soon.

Some wondered if Pence will deal with his many failures as a public servant, both as veep and as governor of Indiana.

Others wondered who, exactly, a book by Mike Pence — hated by Trump loyalists, loathed by Trump critics — is for.

Some suggested he do something more productive, like testify against the man who almost got him killed.

But others speculated it’s just a cynical cash grab.

And some had savage jokes for a man who did nothing, even after his life nearly ended.

(Via CNN)

Doja Cat‘s sophomore album Hot Pink may have been released 18 months ago yet it still remains extremely popular. But fans are still hungry for more. Though her third album, Planet Her, is still en route, she’s throwing them a bone: Its first
single, “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA, will arrive at the end of the week — news she revealed on Twitter in a post also showcasing the single’s artwork.

During an interview with V Magazine last month, SZA spoke about the song during a conversation with Doja, who was also a part of the sit-down. “I know our little ditty ‘Kiss Me More’ is a different strut and I’m just excited,” SZA said. As for Planet Her, Doja confirmed that the project was complete during an interview with Fat Joe. “It’s all ready. I hate that I’m holding onto it right now,” she said. “I see everybody’s like, ‘Put it out’ … You have to plan things accordingly and there’s a lot going on.” She also revealed a possible list of guest features, including The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, SZA, French Montana, Megan Thee Stallion, ASAP Ferg, Saweetie, and Young Thug.

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

Back in June 2020, Alabama rapper Mooski released what became one of today’s most popular hip-hop songs, “Track Star.” The melodic bass-driven tune finds the rapper speaking about a love interest who can’t seem to keep things exclusive with him, always running away only to return a short time later. Nearly a year after the song’s release, Mooski drops a video for the track that gives images to his words.

The rapper’s on-and-off lover is played by Coi Leray, who has attained viral moments of her own thanks to tracks like “No More Parties.” After meeting at a party, Mooski is quick to pick up on Leray’s habit of running away. So he cozies up to another girl, played by there-time Grammy-winning songwriter Nija Charles.When Leray returns, she sees Mooski and Charles spending time together, which upsets her and causes her to runaway once again.

After the success of “Track Star,” Mooski kicked off 2021 with his latest single, “Game Of Love,” which has also racked up more than 475 million views on TikTok and over 42 million global streams. As for Leray, her track “No More Parties” was certified Gold by the RIAA.

You can watch the video for Mooski’s “Track Star” above.

Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, but I’m a bit of a pen snob. Even if I’m just making a list, I look for a pen that grips well, flows well, doesn’t put too much or too little ink into the paper, is responsive-but-not-too-responsive to pressure, and doesn’t suddenly stop working mid-stroke.

In other words, the average cheap ballpoint pen is out. (See? Snob.)

However, Oscar Ukono is making me reevaluate my pen snobbery. Because while I’m over here turning up my nose at the basic Bic, he’s using them to create things like this:

Um, yeah.

Ukonu is a self-taught artist from Lagos, Nigeria, who creates hyperrealistic portraits using just a Bic ballpoint pen. And not the fancy kind—the super simple clear ones with the pointy lids you buy in a 12-pack because you know you’re going to lose half of them around the house anyway.

His drawings look like blue-washed photographs, but they’re all hand-drawn with a Bic. (Or more accurately, with around 10 Bics, since the nubs start to wear down as he uses them.) How he makes the most average ballpoint pen strokes do what he does seems like nothing short of magic—even when you watch him do it in real-time.

The techniques he uses are pretty standard—hatching (parallel lines), crosshatching (perpendicular lines), and scribbling (basically what it sounds like). But he uses them on a minutely detailed level, working from multiple photos of the same subject, and the result is portraiture that looks so real it’s almost surreal.

Artist Draws Hyperrealistic Portraits Using Bic Ballpoint Pens

youtu.be

Ukonu began his journey with hyperrealism when he was in architecture school and fell in love with ballpoint after feeling unsatisfied with the ink pens he was using. “I spent a lot of time looking at different mediums and drawing tools,” he told Vsionvry. “But the first time I tried the ballpoint pen that was in 2014, and it just clicked…”

According to his website, Ukonu “explores black identity and pride in an increasingly globalized world, as well as ideas surrounding Afrorealism” in his art. (Afrorealism is a movement that straddles optimism and pessimism about Africa, with a genuine acknowledgment of the difficulties facing the continent and the placement of Africans in the central role of its development.)

Ukonu calls his work “a practice in time and patience” with an average piece taking him somewhere between 200 to 400 hours to complete. That time and patience pays off as prints of his work—not the originals, just prints—can sell for up to $600.

That braid he’s working on in the video? That was this. With a Bic ballpoint. How?

And the newspaper wrapped around the woman’s head? He has a whole series of pieces that feature that concept, which he calls “THE DISINFORMATION OF A REPUBLIC.”

If you’re new to hyperrealistic art, it’s similar to—and has its roots in—photorealism, a style in which someone draws exactly what they see in a photo. But instead of drawing a direct copy of a photograph, hyperreal artists use photos only as a reference. That’s why the video explained that Ukonu used around 20 photographs (out of hundreds taken) to draw one of his pieces. Rather than an exact replica of a single photograph, the final product is a wholly unique image, even though it looks like it could be a photograph.

It’s common for hyperrealists to evoke emotional, social, cultural, and political meanings in their works, which shows clearly in Ukonu’s art. And the fact that he can create such beautiful images with a cheap, disposable Bic ballpoint is proof that the talent of the artist is more important than the quality of the tools. (A truth that I will keep in mind when I reach for a pen for any purpose after seeing this.)

You can find more of Ukono’s work on Instagram and on his website.

The 2021 men’s national title game did not go as most anticipated, as Baylor jumped all over Gonzaga from the opening tip and ran away with what eventually became an 86-70 win to claim the school’s first men’s basketball national championship.

It was a stunning performance as they did to Gonzaga what the Zags typically did to their opponents, dominating every facet of the game early on and leaving the Bulldogs with a massive hole to climb out of, which they never were able to do. If it seemed as though Baylor entered the game more fired up than Gonzaga, there may be a reason for that. Baylor big man Mark Vital recently spoke with Sirius XM College about the title game and that furious start, and explained why the Bears had a little extra juice coming into the game after learning how Gonzaga was apparently already making preparations for a big celebration by ordering six cases of champagne.

The Bulldogs were the favorites, but only by 4.5 points so if they were making such plans and overlooking the Bears, it was a foolish mistake. That said, it’s also very possible that someone told the Baylor players that Gonzaga had been ordering cases of champagne to give them a little added motivation, when that wasn’t actually the case. If that’s what happened, it certainly seems to have worked. You can see Vital still upset at the thought that Gonzaga felt they were going to cruise past Baylor, and whether it’s actually what went down or simply some well-placed bulletin board material, the Bears certainly had some extra fire in their bellies and made good on their plans to “destroy” the Zags as Vital put it.