Category: News

Back in summer 2019, Randall Park, Wayne Brady, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Daveed Diggs gathered around a mic at fellow actor Rafael Casal’s house. The result of this gathering was a collection of freestyles that captured supporters of the actors by surprise. Nearly two years later, a clip from the freestyle resurfaced on social media as it served as a new piece of content to some and a moment to revisit the impressive display of talent by the quartet. While the group as a whole laid some eyebrow-raising bars, it was Park’s verse that took social media by surprise the most.

A tweet that shared Randall’s verse from the freestyle with the caption, “BRUH, Randall Park has STRAIGHT BARS ! ! ! ! ” and a pair of fire emojis, caused the flurry of posts about the actpr. The bulk of the responses from viewers saw them referring to Park by his Marvel character name, Jimmy Woo. “Agent woo, burnt this to the ground,” one person proclaimed while another said, “JIMMY WOO MIXTAPE COMING SOON.” The rap skills of Park, who currently plays Agent Woo on Marvel’s Wandavision on Disney+, should come as no surprise. The actor rapped in a band called Ill Again during his college days and it would later become the inspiration for the Hello Peril band that appeared in Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe film. He also wrote the rhymes for the character he portrayed in the film.

Check out the full freestyle above and reactions from fans below.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is no stranger to incredible basketball plays, but even he had to dip pretty deep into his well of memories to find a comparison for Steph Curry’s latest dazzling shot. Late in the first quarter agains the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, Curry ran into contact inside and let fly a backward, twirling flip shot that somehow went in.

In response, Kerr said the shot reminded him of Michael Jordan, though Kerr made sure to acknowledge that not even Jordan could make a shot like that consistently.

“That play was sort of Jordan-esque,” Kerr said. “I saw him make that move many times.”

In addition to that absurd shot, Curry went 11-for-20 from the field on his way to 32 points in a 114-91 blowout Warriors victory over San Antonio.

Mileage may vary on how “Jordan-esque” Curry actually is, but the shot on Tuesday was yet another incredible display of his skill and scoring ability in a season that has been full of similar highlights. That Kerr would pump him up for making such an impressive play in a win is not a surprise, and it’s also a nice little flex on Kerr’s part to bring up all the time he spent alongside Jordan as a player.

Early Tuesday morning, the tracklist to the soundtrack for the highly-anticipated film Judas And The Black Messiah was made public. Of its 22 tracks, one undeniable highlight came with Jay-Z and Nipsey Hussle’s “What It Feels Like” collaboration. It was the first and sadly the last track the duo performed together, and it arrives as we approach the two-year mark of Nipsey’s death. A snippet, though, has already been made available in a new clip dropped on social media.

The video begins with Nipsey Hussle letting off a collection of bars before Jay-Z steps to the mic. In his verse, Jay aims to rally the troops to fight back against those who have oppressed him and his people. As for the rest of the tracklist on the Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack, people can expect to hear contributions from ASAP Rocky, Black Thought, JID, Lil Durk, Masego, Nas, HER, who recently shared “Fight For You” from the upcoming project, and many other artists as well.

You can listen to the snippet in the video above.

Judas And The Black Messiah will debut on HBO Max 2/12.

Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Early Tuesday morning, the tracklist to the soundtrack for the highly-anticipated film Judas And The Black Messiah was made public. Of its 22 tracks, one undeniable highlight came with Jay-Z and Nipsey Hussle’s “What It Feels Like” collaboration. It was the first and sadly the last track the duo performed together, and it arrives as we approach the two-year mark of Nipsey’s death. A snippet, though, has already been made available in a new clip dropped on social media.

The video begins with Nipsey Hussle letting off a collection of bars before Jay-Z steps to the mic. In his verse, Jay aims to rally the troops to fight back against those who have oppressed him and his people. As for the rest of the tracklist on the Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack, people can expect to hear contributions from ASAP Rocky, Black Thought, JID, Lil Durk, Masego, Nas, HER, who recently shared “Fight For You” from the upcoming project, and many other artists as well.

You can listen to the snippet in the video above.

Judas And The Black Messiah will debut on HBO Max 2/12.

Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Tuesday’s match-up between Texas Tech and West Virginia wasn’t just the best game in the Big 12, but the best game in the world of men’s college basketball on Feb. 9. For the most part, the game lived up to the hype with two top-15 teams squaring off in a competitive contest in Lubbock but, as the proceedings continued, the officials became a bigger factor. In the end, the referees whistled 49 (!) personal fouls in the 40-minute contest, taking away from the flow of the game, and Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard reached the end of his proverbial rope.

In the final minute and with his team trailing 77-71, Beard went off on the officials. Though it isn’t ideal to go crazy in that spot, the game was probably over given the time and score and, with that as the backdrop, Beard got his money’s worth while earning a memorable ejection.

There is a lot happening here but, as noted in the video caption, the best part may have been Beard’s decision to give West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins a fist bump on the way out. If that wasn’t the pinnacle of Beard’s performance, another highlight was the 47-year-old Beard sitting down on the floor as part of his mission to prove a point.

Finally, Beard decided to sprint, or at least jog with purpose, to the locker room after receiving the heave from the officials. The broadcast notes that Beard’s frustration had been boiling for some time and, with 49 total fouls including 29 on the Red Raiders, it is easy to see why. Still, this is an all-timer from a (very) well-regarded college basketball coach, and it draws attention to a game that was already prominent through the lens of the sport in early February.

Pooh Shiesty is just a few days removed from the release of his debut mixtape Shiesty Season. But he’s already backin action. He collaborated with Maryland rapper Big Flock for “187 Shiesty,” whose new video portrays the two hanging with their respective crews as they show off their money and jewels while delivering raps about the dangerous environment they often find themselves in.

Prior to the release of his debut mixtape, Shiesty spoke about what fans should expect from it. “You getting big Shiest on this mixtape,” he said during an interview on Zane Lowe’s Apple Music radio show. “I’m touching on all categories. Expect me getting versatile. It’s lit. You can expect some big features, shooting a video to every song on there. We’re going all the way up.” Examples of this have already been displayed through videos for “Neighbors” and “Guard Up.” As for the mixtape itself, the 17-track effort presents appearances from 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, Lil Durk, Big30, and more.

You can watch the duo’s “187 Shiesty” latest in the video above.

Shiesty Season is out now via Atlantic Records. Get it here.

Pooh Shiesty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

If you’ve been following my picks for artists who just might take over the world this year, Claud is definitely on the list. Their debut album Super Monster is due out later this week, the first release on Phoebe Bridgers’ new imprint, Saddest Factory Records, via Dead Oceans. While Phoebe has been in the news this past weekend for a brilliant, somewhat ironic guitar-smashing incident, Claud’s newest track is a little more subdued. “Guard Down” addresses the feelings of fear and hesitation we all have when it comes to increasing vulnerability with someone we care about, but Claud manages to make the nerve-wracking process sound a little more sweet and gentle.

Layering crisp, simple beats and a straightforward vocal line, the feeling of the song shifts on the second verse when an AutoTuned, garbled voice takes over. If that isn’t a perfect metaphor for the ups and downs of trying to trust someone, and dealing with your own insecurities, then I don’t know what is! “Guard Down” follows up a few other previews of the record, there was the light-hearted lead-off single, “Gold,” the delightful “Cuff Your Jeans,” and the charming “Soft Spot” before this latest single. But the real magic is in hearing the whole record, which everyone will get to do when it comes out this Friday, February 12.

Check out the new track above.

LeBron James is enjoying yet another ridiculous season in 2020-21, operating as the centerpiece of the NBA’s best team at the age of 36. By any objective measure, James should be slowing down at this point but, with no signs of slippage despite an incredible amount of mileage, the Los Angeles Lakers forward remains the No. 1 star in the NBA world. While James’s level of play is worthy of extensive discussion on its own, Tom Brady leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win reignited the “GOAT” debate across the sporting landscape and, on cue, James is in the middle of it.

While the question of which player has been better and/or more dominant in their own field is interesting in a different way, Brady’s ability to play into his 40’s prompted questions about James and when he will hang it up. James said Monday that Brady’s win was “inspiring for a guy like myself” and, after he turned in a triple-double in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was asked about the future.

“Two different sports, two different positions. I don’t know how long I’m going to play the game. I don’t know how much more I’ll be able to give to the game, but the way I feel right now, we’ll see what happens,” James said, via Silver Screen & Roll. “I have no timetable on it. I have no year of, ‘OK, do I want to play until 30 this, or 40 that?’”

Of course, it isn’t terribly surprising to hear James deflect on a specific timetable, but he went on to say “the game will let me know when it’s time, and we’ll figure it out then.” In short, that makes sense in that it is pretty difficult to imagine James continuing to hang on in a reduced form and, despite his age, it is also weird to think about James actually declining, even if it has to happen at some point.

The Lakers are rolling and James is signed long-term, meaning there isn’t much drama with regard to where he’ll play next as there has been at various points in his career. There is still time for a final act, though, and it would be wise not to assume the end is too near given these comments and his obscene level of play at the age of 36.

David Hogg has dedicated his life to championing progressive causes after surviving the school massacre in Parkland, Florida almost three years ago, but his latest project is a bit more lighthearted: He wants to take on the MyPillow guy. Last week the March for Our Lives organizer announced he was starting a “pillow fight” against Mike Lindell, the self-made entrepreneur who has spent the last three months spreading baseless conspiracy theories about voter fraud in the 2020 election. And, mere days later, he’s already well on his way to making it a reality.

According to The Washington Post, Hogg already has a company and a name for his idea, which he first made public on Thursday, February 4. He informed Twitter it would be called “Good Pillow,” and within an hour it was already trending. And he’s done this all in mere days while taking online classes at Harvard.

Not that everything’s ready to go. Many aspects of the company are not fully there yet, and Hogg says he’s spent the last four days testing pillows. Some have claimed Hogg and his co-conspirator, software developer William LeGate are simply young people rushing into something without knowing what they’re doing. There’s been concern that they may overpromise on something they can’t deliver.

As for Lindell, he doesn’t appear to worried about him putting his company out of business. “Good for David Hogg trying to make a pillow,” Lindell told the Post. “As long as he doesn’t infringe on people’s patents, good for him.”

(Via The Washington Post)

Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks have decided to nix the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before home games, according to a report by Tim Cato of The Athletic.

The decision, according to Cato, was made by Cuban, who confirmed that the Mavericks intentionally have not played the game before any of their home games this season and will not do so going forward. Further reporting from Cato indicated the decision was not announced internally ahead of time, and many Mavs staffers only found out about it by observing the song’s absence pregame themselves.

The NBA is allowing teams to manage pregame routines as they see fit this season while many games are conducted without fans and typical traditions are not observed, but as Cato reports, Cuban has long expressed criticism of the anthem and its use in sports, as well as support for players who protest during its playing.

Cato also notes that the Mavs are believed to be the first major American sports franchise to forego the playing of the American national anthem before games. Whether the NBA allows the practice continue remains to be seen, though commissioner Adam Silver did say last season that the controversy surrounding the anthem meant the league would strive for “real engagement rather than rule enforcement.”