Category: News

Last week, legendary coach Roy Williams announced his retirement after 18 seasons at North Carolina, winning three national titles, which was preceded by 15 stellar seasons at Kansas. The Carolina job immediately became the best open job in the country and, arguably, was a job that could not be topped by any other opening in America. There was speculation that the Tar Heels might go hunting for a big name, like making a call to Gonzaga’s Mark Few or any other established star in the coaching industry.

However, it should probably come as little surprise that UNC will be reportedly keeping the job in the Tar Heel family, as C.L. Brown of the News & Observer reports assistant coach and former UNC player Hubert Davis will be the next head coach in Chapel Hill. Davis, who played at Carolina under Dean Smith from 1988-92 before a lengthy NBA career has been an assistant under Williams since 2012 when he left his analyst job at ESPN to join the Tar Heel coaching staff.

Word emerged on Monday afternoon that the UNC board of trustees was having a meeting to discuss a contract, which many assumed meant the hiring of a new coach was imminent. Davis is apparently that man, and according to Brown, the focus has now shifted to building his staff with some calls already being made to former players to try and bring them on board.

To ensure Davis has the support he needs as a new coach, there will be an emphasis on constructing his new staff. Cunningham has asked some of the former players with coaching experience about their interest in serving a supporting role. Others like George Lynch, Davis’ former teammate and a member of the 1993 national championship team, have reached out expressing their interest. Lynch was the head coach at Division II Clark-Atlanta University and also had served two stints on the staff at SMU during the tenures of former Tar Heels’ Matt Doherty and later Larry Brown.

Davis will become the first Black head coach at North Carolina, which is a not insignificant achievement given the general lack of diversity in the head coaching ranks of blue blood programs in college basketball. It is a massive opportunity for Davis but also one that comes with the knowledge that he’s been ingrained in the program for nearly a decade, allowing for what one would think will be a fairly seamless transition from the Williams to Davis eras.

A server in Texas shared some personal information on TikTok to remind everyone why it’s so important to tip those who serve us our meals, drinks, and cut our hair.

The reminder is important at a time when restaurants, bars and hair salons are reopening across the country and many service industry workers are reeling from the downturn in business during the pandemic.

Aaliyah Cortez filmed a video of her paycheck where she shows that although she worked 70.80 hours during a pay period, she only received a check for $9.28. “So this is why you should always tip your bartenders and servers, anyone who waits on you, or provides a service for you,” she said.

The video shows that even though she was paid the criminally low federal minimum tipped wage of $2.13, the money she received in her check was further reduced by taxes, social security, and Medicare payments.

“Of course, I got tips, but this is what I got for my hourly,” Cortez said. “This is why you tip.”

The rules for wages in tipped industries vary across the country. Texas is among the 16 states where the state minimum cash wage payment is the same as that required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act ($2.13/hr.).

Now, if a server making $2.13 an hour doesn’t reach the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour with tips, then their employer must make up the difference.

The best state to work in for tipped wages is California where the minimum wage is $13 to $14 an hour, depending on the size of the business.

In a follow-up video, Cortez further discussed the issue, noting that she doesn’t agree with “state laws that allow restaurants to pay under minimum wage and expect the customer to pay our wages,” she said.

“I make great money in tips, she added, “However, this is not the case for all service industry workers.” According to Cortez, people aren’t always that generous with their tips, even though their “state is expecting them to tip.”

Cortez’s video is a great reminder of two things:

First, that we should all be mindful to take care of those who serve us by giving them a decent tip. Secondly, that the U.S. needs to address the issue of the tipped minimum wage because it hasn’t changed in 30 years.

“Since 1991, the federal tipped minimum wage has been frozen at $2.13 an hour,” gender economist Katica Rot told NBC. “Meanwhile, the non-tipped federal minimum wage has risen 70.6% and consumer prices have gone up 90.24%.”

In fact, tipped employees are twice as likely (and servers three times as likely) to live in poverty than non-tipped workers.

Women bear the biggest burden of the tipped minimum wage. They represent 70% of all workers in tip-dependent occupations.

Recently, the Senate rejected attempts to raise the federal minimum wage as part of the Biden administration’s wide-sweeping COVID-19 relief package. Although that fight is far from over, it means the average person needs to step up and do their part to help out.

Cortez says that a big problem with her industry is that people just don’t tip enough. Let that be a reminder that in a world where it’s been painfully difficult to raise the minimum wage, we are all deputized to help those who serve us by pitching in with a generous tip to show appreciation and humanity.

HBO has unveiled the new trailer for its latest true crime docuseries Pray, Obey, Kill that explores one of the “most bizarre criminal cases in Sweden in modern history.” In January 2004, a remote Swedish village was rocked by the murder of a young woman and her neighbor who were both entangled in a controversial Pentacostal sect. Upping the intrigue factor was the suspected involvement of a 26-year-old nanny who confessed to the murders just days laters and claimed that she had received text messages from God who told her to do it. What followed next was a labyrinthian investigation that garnered international interest as it uncovered systemic abuse, a sordid love triangle, and increased scrutiny toward another suspicious death that occurred years earlier.

In the middle of all of this is “The Bride of Christ,” the sect’s leader who apparently has a penchant for meting out punishment to members of the flock who falter in their faith or attempt to leave the congregation that she tightly controls.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Tracing the chilling events of January 10, 2004, and the resulting police investigation, criminal trial, and its aftermath, Pray, Obey, Kill highlights investigative journalists Anton Berg and Martin Johnson’s meticulous re-examination of the case. Their investigation includes in-depth interviews with journalists and police investigators who covered the crimes, as well as former members of the Pentecostal sect, some of whom are speaking for the first time about the psychological and physical abuse they suffered.

Pray, Obey, Kill premieres Monday, April 12 on HBO.

(via HBO)

It appears Kodak Black found himself in the middle of a scary situation early this morning, as it is being reported that his security guard was shot in the parking lot of a McDonald’s in Tallahassee, Florida.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, which cites preliminary incident reports by the Tallassee Police Department, at around 3 a.m. this morning, Black and some associates were leaving Baja’s Beach Club and were followed by multiple vehicles that attempted to cut them off. TPD spokesperson Alicia Turner confirmed the shooting and that one person was seriously injured.

The publication also reports that Black and his associates went to the McDonald’s and blocked the entrance with a vehicle. Black apparently insisted on picking up the order himself in-store, which his security team advised against. One of the vehicles that chased Black’s vehicle earlier arrived, left, and returned when its occupants began shooting. The security guard was reportedly shot in the leg and taken to a hospital. He reportedly underwent surgery after behind shot in the femoral artery and losing a significant amount of blood.

Black himself appears to be alright, as he has made multiple posts on his Instagram Story (not related to the shooting) this afternoon.

Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Olivia Rodrigo’s second act and a fresh Megan Thee Stallion guest spot. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

Olivia Rodrigo — “Deja Vu”

“Drivers License” is a record-breaking single and one of the biggest songs of this young year, making the breakout hit a tough act to follow for Olivia Rodrigo. She did just that a few days ago, though, with “Deja Vu,” a part-Radiohead-part-Lana-Del-Rey tune that strays from the ‘sad ballad girl‘ energy, as Rodrigo put it, of her previous single.

Brockhampton — “Count On Me”

Now is the time to appreciate Brockhampton, because they may not exist after 2021. If they truly are going out, it’s with a bang, as they have one confirmed album on the way and supposedly another also dropping this year. The latest from Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine is “Count On Me,” an upbeat tune full of relationship assurances.

St. Vincent — “The Melting Of The Sun”

St. Vincent has been clear about the fact that her upcoming album, Daddy’s Home, is inspired by the sounds of New York in the 1970s. She takes her historical tribute to the next level on “The Melting Of The Sun,” on which she thanks some cultural icons of yesteryear: “Saint Joni ain’t no phony / Smoking reds where Furry sang the blues / My Marilyn shot her heroin / Hell, she said it’s better than abuse.”

BTS — “Film Out”

It would be fair for BTS to take a break this year considering they released a whopping three albums in 2020. Instead, though, they’re pressing forward with another full-length, BTS, The Best, due out in June. The album is part compilation and part fresh material, including “Film Out,” for which BTS shared a characteristically high-production visual last week.

Ryley Walker — Course In Fable

Walker recently told Uproxx of his new album, “Usually [my music] is just like a really crappy Old Country Buffet-style slop I put on the plates. I feel like it’s always half-baked ideas that you have to pay $16 to hear. And it’s like, ‘Well, the pizza was interesting and they have a dessert part of the buffet…’ But here I just wanted it to be a really well-rounded, full record and for every song to have some sort of ambition, whether that’s multiple parts or better lyrics.”

Bankroll Freddie — “Pop It” Feat. Megan Thee Stallion

After the prosperous past few years Megan Thee Stallion has enjoyed, she has every right to flex. She does just that with her guest spot on Bankroll Freddie’s “Pop It,” the video for which features cars, money, women, and all the classic hip-hop video fixins, all to visualize the track’s equally showboat-y lyrics.

Waxahatchee — Saint Cloud +3

A week or so ago was the one-year anniversary of Waxahatchee’s well-received album Saint Cloud. The artist celebrated the milestone with a new deluxe edition of the album (it’s almost weird seeing a deluxe album arrive a year after the original now, even though that used to be the norm). Saint Cloud +3 adds, you guessed it, three tracks: covers of “Fruits Of My Labor” by Lucinda Williams, “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning” by Dolly Parton, and “Streets Of Philadelphia” by Bruce Springsteen.

42 Dugg and Roddy Ricch — “4 Da Gang”

Roddy Ricch has been fairly quiet since dropping his 2019 album Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, which I suppose isn’t that surprising given the title of the album. He has a second album on the way seemingly in the not-too-distant future, though, and he has preceded it by linking up with 42 Dugg on “4 Da Gang,” which is built on a sample of Scorpions’ “No One Like You.”

Fousheé — “Gold Fronts” Feat. Lil Wayne

First Fousheé made history on the charts, and now she’s collaborating with one of the biggest rappers ever: Lil Wayne. She explained how “Gold Fronts” came together, saying, “I was like, ‘How did you find me?’ And he was like, ‘Well, I’m not really on social media. I don’t search for artists. I have two TVs in my skate room. One is on ESPN, one is on Revolt, and the TV just plays music videos back to back. It’s like, if you end up on that screen and I like you, then I know it’s meant to be.’ And then he was like, he was skating and he saw the video, the ‘Deep End’ video.”

Demi Lovato — “Met Him Last Night” Feat. Ariana Grande

Lovato’s intensely personal new album Dancing With The Devil… The Art Of Starting Over dropped last week, and on it, she got a few friends to help her tell her story. One is Ariana Grande, who co-wrote and features on “Met Him Last Night,” which personifies inner demons with the most famed one of all: the devil.

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

Nirvana has influenced every generation of musicians that followed them, but now artificial intelligence has helped take that to the next level. Over The Bridge, a Toronto-based organization that helps folks in the music industry deal with mental illness, has created a new project called Lost Tapes Of The 27 Club, and included is “Drowned In The Sun,” a Nirvana-style song that was made to closely resemble the band’s work with the help of artificial intelligence.

Sean O’Connor, who is on the board of directors at Over The Bridge, explained to Rolling Stone how the instrumental came together, saying, “We took 20 to 30 songs from each of our artists as MIDI files and broke them down to just the hook, solo, vocal melody or rhythm guitar and put those through one at a time. If you put whole songs through, [the program] starts to get really confused on what [it’s] supposed to sound like. But if you just have a bunch of riffs, it’ll put out about five minutes of new AI-written riffs, 90 percent of which is really bad and unlistenable. So you start listening through and just finding little moments that are interesting.”

He also noted that the lyrics were generated with a neural network and said that trial and error was involved with choosing the right generated lyrics for the song.

The singing comes courtesy of Eric Hogan, who fronts the Atlanta Nirvana covers group called Nevermind: The Ultimate Tribute To Nirvana. He said of the experience, “After the conversation, I still didn’t really think it was a real thing, and then they sent me files and money. […] I was like, ‘I don’t know how to [sing] this.’ I had to have the guy who came up with the AI track mumble and hum [the tune]. I would feel weird trying to assume what [Cobain] would do. They had to give me a little bit of a roadmap, and then from there, it was fine.”

Also included on Lost Tapes Of The 27 Club are songs in the style of The Doors, Amy Winehouse, and Jimi Hendrix.

Listen to “Drowned In The Sun” above and check out the Doors, Winehouse, and Hendrix tracks below.

Meghan McCain and Whoopi Goldberg had an odd exchange on Monday while discussing Major League Baseball’s decision to move its annual All-Star Game from Atlanta following the passage of the highly controversial Election Integrity Act in Georgia. McCain seemed to be particularly incensed that President Joe Biden was backing the MLB move, which she called “culture-war stuff at its very base level.”

The conservative went on a lengthy rant saying where she challenged the league to “put your money where your mouth is” and pull every game from Georgia “since it’s a racist, deplorable, unforgivable place,” she added sarcastically.

But McCain didn’t stop at baseball. Soon, her rant went on to include the Olympics. Via The Daily Beast:

“If we’re going to do this sliding scale with the Biden administration, you need to come out today and boycott the Beijing Olympics,” she shouted. “There is mass genocide going on with the Uighurs there. You have nothing to say?! We’re still going to the Olympics where mass genocide is happening, but we’re going boycott everything in the state of Georgia. That is ridiculous!”

At this point, Whoopi had clearly had enough, and she could be heard saying, “Oh, for frog’s sake,” which seems like an odd phrase. Some speculated that the exasperated host wanted to drop the F-bomb, but is such a seasoned pro, that she knew to censor herself for live TV — and maybe for some plausible deniability. Because what happened next looked like some genuine technical confusion, but it also could be from Whoopi pulling off her stealth F-bomb that seemed to quiet McCain down.

You can watch the bizarre clip below:

(Via The Daily Beast)

For obvious reasons, this year’s South By Southwest festival took place entirely online over the course of a few days at the end of March instead of setting up shop in Austin, Texas like usual. As part of the festivities, NPR put on a Tiny Desk showcase, the first installment of which is being presented today.

The artist is Steady Holiday (aka Dre Babinski) and she kept things fun. Not only was she joined by her band (Derek Howa and Brijesh Pandya, who were set up outside while Babinski was comfortably inside next to a fire), but she was also accompanied by her dog and a printer. The printer, which had giant googly eyes affixed to the front and a human arm (probably not real) emerging from its side, acted as the master of ceremonies, spitting out sheets of paper that featured the name of the next song to be performed.

As for the songs, Steady Holiday played “Living Life,” “Tangerine,” “White Walls,” and “Love Me When I Go To Sleep,” all of which come from the 2021 album Take The Corners Gently.

Watch Steady Holiday’s Tiny Desk concert above. Babinski also gave Uproxx a tour of her closet recently, so check that out here.

Boxing is a tremendous way to stay in shape, as it works every part of your body and some muscles you probably have never even noticed before. For many, their experience in boxing is limited to bag work, which is a good thing, because the alternative is getting punched back by someone else, which turns it into a whole other animal.

The mindset, discipline, and skill required to actually box is something few possess the ability to do, and it doesn’t take a long time to recognize when the sport might just not be for you. Over the weekend, a video of one man’s boxing debut went viral as he found that, yes, this was indeed something he had the mindset and ability to do. His opponent, however, might have exited the ring for the last time in unceremonious fashion, as he got knocked through the ropes and Ralph Wiggum’d it to the floor.

Hopefully that gentleman is alright — the good news is it seems as if he lands on his back as he goes to the floor — but from the moment he took that first punch he looks like a man who realized he wanted no part of this boxing thing. He hunches up after getting hit in the ear and starts running to the corner, but not fast enough to avoid a second right hand that sends him down to the canvas, through the ropes, and then a drop to the floor.

It is a triumphant moment for the one fighter, who got his first taste of victory and how good it feels when those punches connect cleanly, but for the other, it might spell the end of a boxing career as his response to getting punched was not what you’re looking for as a fighter. Also, let this serve as a PSA that headgear doesn’t protect you from getting knocked out, as many people seem to believe.

Audrey Fix Schaefer remembers all too well the last concert she was able to attend in person: a raucous performance by punk godfathers the Dead Kennedys at 9:30 Club, the D.C. venue where she serves as communications director, on March 11th, 2020.

“I had a lot of tears that night,” she recalled during a recent phone call. “At the time, I thought it was going to be the last show I would see for 20 days. Because D.C. was going to flatten the curve. It was a moment where I was relishing being in the place that brings me so much joy. But there was also so much angst thinking about what happens to our employees. What happens to all the businesses around us? What happens to the bands?”

Over a year later, 9:30 Club, like thousands of venues around the world, remains closed. The bookers for the club have been forced to re-book some shows up to 10 times as they wait for that magical combination of COVID cases dropping, vaccination numbers rising, and the decision makers in the district and the federal government to finally give them the go-ahead to hold shows again.

The past month has shown some glimmers of hope that music fans hungry might be able to feel the waves of a PA rumbling through their systems before 2021 is over. Artists such as psych-grunge mainstays Dinosaur Jr. and pop-country duo SixForty1 recently announced tour dates. Bonnaroo, the outdoor festival held yearly since 2002 in Manchester, Tennessee, dropped the lineup for their 2021 edition (set for the weekend of September 2nd) that includes Foo Fighters, Megan Thee Stallion, Tame Impala, and Lizzo. Other festivals, like the roots-oriented DelFest and Americanafest, and the EDM-centric Electric Zoo, followed suit with their own lineup announcements.

Even 9:30 Club has dates listed on their calendar for as soon as May 25th of this year. It’s a positive sign but one that Schaefer and all the other bookers and venue operators around the world is approaching cautiously.

“One of these days we’re hoping that we’re going to get to open,” she said. “And we will. We just don’t know when it is.”

Concert venues, big and small, were some of the first places to close when the pandemic started spiraling out of control last year — and rightfully so, as, for most people, the need to protect themselves and others far outweighed any desires to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their fellow music fans. And those same clubs and theaters will likely be the last to reopen even as more people are vaccinated and infection numbers start to drop.

The impact of this global shutdown has been enormous. According to Pollstar, ticket sales in the first quarter of 2021 are down 99% from the year before. And that’s not even counting the loss of revenue still being felt by everyone from musicians to booking agents to bartenders. So the excitement about the prospect of shows, tours, and festivals happening again soon is understandable. But thankfully, most of the people involved with these events are being very careful and downright suspicious as they set about opening their doors and gates to fans again.

“We’ve got to get the ecosystem rebooted by the end of the summer or I’ll be out,” said Jim Brunberg, owner of three venues in Portland, Oregon, including Mississippi Studios, and the founder of the advocacy group Independent Venues Coalition. “And I’m one of the most solid and optimistic people out there. There has to be a rational and science-based approach to reopening. We can’t be fear-based and throwing darts at a moving target.”

The biggest challenge with that is that every state has their own protocols with regards to the pandemic. In New York, for example, Governor Andrew Cuomo is allowing venues to reopen at either 33% capacity or 100 patrons, whichever is highest, while in Texas and Florida, the restrictions have been completely lifted and venues can operate at 100% capacity if they so choose.

While that still does leave open plenty of possibilities for artists to perform, the spotty landscape for reopening presents challenges for anyone hoping to tour the U.S. any time soon.

“It’s a really long planning process in our business,” says Schaefer, who also serves as communications director for the advocacy group National Independent Venue Association. “You have thousands of bands trying to make their way to thousands of venues across the country. You’re not going to go to one town and then skip seven states to get to the next.”

It’s all still a bit of a mess, but there are plenty of positive signs out there that forecast a slow return to normal for the concert industry. Last weekend, City Winery NYC held their first shows in over a year—two performances by Old 97s leader Rhett Miller — with attendees safely socially distanced and mask mandates in place. And their concert calendar is filling up quickly with names like Patti Smith, Stephin Merritt, and Rufus Wainwright.

The Basement East in Nashville also reopened its doors this past weekend after a year that saw the venue hit not only with the pandemic but also a tornado that ripped a hole in the building last March. With repairs done and safety restrictions in place, the club welcomed 132 people for a sold-out show by local rockers Goodbye June, with future weekend shows already booked. Exciting, yes, but to hear co-owner Mike Grimes talk about, still a little bittersweet.

“To be transparent, doing shows in this context is rewarding but it’s not the same,” he said. “It’s rewarding and fun but not great for the people that can’t get up and go talk to somebody in another pod or hug a friend sitting at another table because all these protocols are in place.”

As well, nearly 2,000 tickets have been sold for Moon Crush, a five-day festival headlined by Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell being held at the end of April in Miramar Beach, Florida. The event is almost like the experience of a cruise ship on land. Concertgoers are expected to rent a house or condo within walking distance of the venue and, with only three acts every night, there’s ample time for other activities in the area.

“We like to use the term ‘music vacation,’” said Andy Levine, the creator of the event. “We want you to get up and have your perfect day, whatever it is. And then we’re going to have five hours of music waiting for you.”

There are still plenty of restrictions in place. Anyone in attendance must have proof of a negative COVID test or vaccination, and they’re expected to keep to their designated viewing area at the venue every night.

That alone is an indication that we’re not nearly clear of this pandemic. Maybe we are only six months away from thousands of people being safe to bounce between stages at the farm where Bonnaroo is held every year. But for smaller spaces like Nashville’s hub for bluegrass and traditional country The Station Inn, there is no guarantee that they’ll be back in business any time soon.

“We’re not in the clear yet,” said Jeff Brown, the Station Inn’s marketing director. “As much as there’s optimism at the moment that it feels like we’re coming out of this thing, we’re not out yet.”