Category: News

Matt Reeves’ presentation of The Batman teaser trailer generated plenty of excitement during the DC FanDome event, and it’s no wonder why that happened. Eager comic book fans got a sizeable preview of how Robert Pattinson is churning out a grounded, snarling, violent version of the character (which sits outside the DCEU) and how his Bruce Wayne moved from detective to masked vigilante. The trailer also gave audiences a look at Jeffrey Wright’s version of Commissioner Gordon and Zoe Kravitz’s take on the Catwoman (which both Lenny Kravitz and Jason Momoa absolutely loved). However, there was a whole lot of marveling at Colin Farrell’s appearance as The Penguin.

Let’s just say that if Ferrell hadn’t already been announced for The Penguin role ahead of the trailer, people would have no problem believing that Richard Kind was suddenly into comic book movies. Makeup artist Mike Marino even had to step in and confirm to the Internet that, yes, this is Farrell underneath a hefty dose of prosthetics. Well, Jeffrey Wright recently revealed on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show (via Comic Book) that he, too, did not recognize Farrell on set:

“I’ve worked with that makeup artist before and it’s just incredible. Colin walked on to set one day and I walked right passed him [laughs] I was like ‘ok, hey dude what’s happening, where’s Colin are we going to shoot.’ It was, it’s pretty remarkable.”

Also remarkable? Pattinson’s smoky eye makeup, which is being compared to The Crow, and the fact that fans have already (probably) solved The Riddler’s (Paul Dano) mysterious message. Oh, and it’s one hell of a turn of events to see The Batman being compared to Taxi Driver in the same way as 2019’s Joker. Warner Bros. sure is enjoying themselves while reinventing their approach to DC Comics movies, and hopefully, audiences will reap the benefits without another release date pushback.

The Batman arrives on October 1, 2021.

(Via The Jess Cagle Show & Comic Book)

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm and blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

This week, Giveon took the time to cover D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” Ty Dolla Sign tapped Nicki Minaj for his latest single “Expensive,” and Jazmine Sullivan made her return with “Lost One.” Check out the rest of the best new R&B music below.

Giveon — “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”

Giveon and Spotify teamed up for a two-piece set of songs this week and one of them is a cover to D’Angelo’s classic record “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” The track was recorded nearly twenty years ago at Electric Lady Studios and that’s exactly where Giveon recorded his rendition of the electrifying song. “Covering an R&B classic is the icing on the cake,” he said via statement. “Working on these two songs were a beautiful time for me.”

Ty Dolla Sign — “Expensive” Feat. Nicki Minaj

Ty Dolla Sign has been teasing his new song “Expensive” with Nicki Minaj all week and it’s finally here. As expected, Nicki’s verse doesn’t disappoint as she raps with opulence and bars at a level that only she can deliver. It sounds like Ty Dolla may have another summer hit on his hands.

Jazmine Sullivan — “Lost One”

Jazmine Sullivan has been a sorely missed vocal powerhouse in the R&B world and this week the singer has made her return with the heartbreaking ballad “Lost One.” It’s her first single in two years and is a perfect demonstration of her talent and ability to make listeners feel her words and emotions.

Toosii — “Love Cycle” Feat. Summer Walker

Toosii‘s “Love Cycle” just got that much sweeter with Summer Walker gracing her presence on the already viral Platinum Heart baby maker. “I want rich sex / I ain’t the type to be depressed / You don’t be givin’ me no stress, so I know where it’s at,” she affectionately tips off on the fan-favorite slow jam. Summer’s newly added vocals sounds as if this collaboration with Toosii was meant to be.

112 — “For Us”

Slim and Mike of 112 are gearing up to release their first project in years, 112 Forever, and this week they shared their latest release “For Us.” The pair don’t miss a step in the black-and-white visual for uptempo track, showing that they still got it.

Lonr. — “The End”

Grammy Award-winning R&B talent Lonr. is following up his impressive virtual BET Awards performance of “Make The Most” with the visual for his latest release “The End.” The song lives on his newly released project Land Of Nothing Real which features guest appearances from HER and XXL Freshman 24kGoldn.

Ian Isiah – “Princess Pouty”

New York’s own Ian Isiah is readying for the release of the AUNTIE project and recently shared a piece of what’s to come in the form of “Princess Pouty.” With the help of Chromeo, who did his thing on every track on the project, “Princess Pouty” is a disco-funk bop that leaves plenty of room to dance and enjoy the moment.

Rileyy Lanez – “Marry Me”

Rileyy Lanez comes through this week with the visual for “Marry Me” off her debut EP Beautiful Mistakes, which was released back in May. The music video highlights the trials and tribulations that true love will bring you through. It was directed by Erik Rojas in Rileyy’s hometown of New York City.

Jayla Darden — “Demonstration”

Jayla Darden has given her song “Demonstration” a chill visual treatment as a nod to the late ’90s and early ’00s with looks plainly inspired by TLC and the late Aaliyah. Last year, Jayla impressed with her EP Onto Something, with more to come.

K. Roosevelt — “All Night”

It’s been a minute since K. Roosevelt has released music but that all changed this week when he shared his latest release “All Night.” The song is fully produced and written by K. Roosevelt himself and carries heavy reggae vibes with a futuristic twist.

Ledisi — The Wild Card

Ledisi delivers classic rhythm and blues with her latest project The Wild Card. Filled with love and passion, Ledisi sings her heart out and takes her listeners on a sexual healing rollercoaster.

Tweet — “Neva Felt This Way”

Tweet illustrates feelings of a bubbling love with her newly released single “Neva Felt This Way.” Tweet takes the time to admire her lover’s presence with care and empathy.

Check out this week’s R&B picks, plus more on Uproxx’s Spotify playlist below.

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

It’s been a wild 48 hours around the NBA. It started with a stoppage of play on Wednesday just as teams were set to square off on a triple-header of Game 5s, when players staged an impromptu walk-off to protest the latest police shooting of an unarmed Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Jacob Blake, 29, has been left paralyzed from the waist down, per his father, after police officers shot him seven times as he was trying to enter his vehicle, with his three children in the backseat looking on. The Milwaukee Bucks were the first team to announce they would not play on Wednesday, and the rest of the teams quickly followed, throwing the remainder of the NBA season into doubt.

What followed was a string of meetings between the players, the players’ association, and the NBA Board of Governors, with the players hoping that their walk-out would force the owners to use their money and considerable influence to take tangible, concrete actions that would prompt social reform.

According to the newest reports, the players haven’t all been on the same page over the past couple days about how to move forward. The NBA isn’t a monolithic group, and despite their united front, first on pausing play and then on deciding to resume this weekend, there’s been frustration among their ranks about the lack of planning and foresight needed to proceed.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who has been reporting on the situation from inside the bubble in Orlando, published a report on Thursday giving a glimpse inside those meetings. He paints a picture of how LeBron, in particular, was apparently angry at the Bucks for making a unilateral decision that forced everyone else’s hands. But there was reportedly another tense moment involving Patrick Beverley and outgoing NBPA director Michele Roberts that caught the attention of many.

“Michele Roberts, the executive director of the players’ union, asked to have the floor to speak about the financial ramifications of leaving Orlando.

While she was going over the numbers, Clippers guard Patrick Beverley abruptly interrupted her, saying he disagreed with her logic, sources said. Roberts kindly reiterated that these were potential losses the players would suffer, and Beverley interrupted again.

Roberts asked politely if she could continue with her point, and Beverley responded, “No, I pay your salary,” sources said.

This caused an uproar with Paul, Haslem and others, who intervened and told Beverley that disrespect would not be tolerated, sources said.”

Without the full context, it’s easy to paint Beverley as rude or disrespectful here, especially given his well-established reputation as an on-court nuisance to anyone he’s tasked with defending and his penchant for trash talk. But this is one of those cases where Beverley probably deserves some benefit of the doubt without knowing exactly how that interaction played out. Beverley’s teammate Ivica Zubac called into question the legitimacy of the report on Twitter, insisting Beverley did not say that.

Clearly, the enormous financial implications of canceling the season played at least some part in the decision to resume play, and it is Roberts’ job to inform the players union of all of the potential ramifications of their actions so they have complete information to make a decision off of. Both Thursday and presumably Friday’s slate of playoff games will be rescheduled for some time in the near future as the league charts a path forward.

But since the Board of Governors meeting on Thursday, details about the owners’ action plan remains vague. In the wake of it all, the Rockets announced that they will retrofit the Toyota Center in Houston as a voting center for the 2020 presidential election, but there are still plenty of questions about what the long-terms fallout of this stoppage will be.

(Yahoo Sports)

In May 2000, Indie group Grandaddy released their second album, The Sophtware Slump. It was a critical hit that was acclaimed upon its release and continues to be looked back upon fondly today. 2020 marks the album’s 20th anniversary, and the group has done something special to celebrate it: Band leader Jason Lytle has recorded a new version of the album played on piano, appropriately titled The Sophtware Slump ….. On A Wooden Piano. Today, the group shared a video for the piano version of “Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground).”

Press materials liken the production of the original and new versions of the album to each other, nothing, “Jason Lytle made The Sophtware Slump while red-eyed and running around a sweltering slipshod home studio in his boxers using some gear he planned to return to Best Buy as soon as he was done. Two decades after making a DIY masterpiece, Lytle found himself recording those songs again as their own entity, sweating in his apartment (again) and trying to create a controlled environment while surrounded by chaos.”

The re-imagined album is set to arrive as part of a big rerelease of The Sophtware Slump, a 4-LP box set that comes out on November 20 via Dangerbird Records. A standalone LP and CD release of The Sophtware Slump ….. On A Wooden Piano will follow at some point in early 2021.

Watch the “Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground) (Piano Version)” video above, and check out the The Sophtware Slump ….. On A Wooden Piano art and tracklist below.

1. “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s The Pilot (Piano Version)”
2. “Hewlett’s Daughter (Piano Version)”
3. “Jed The Humanoid (Piano Version)”
4. “The Crystal Lake (Piano Version)”
5. “Chartsengrafs (Piano Version)”
6. “Underneath The Weeping Willow (Piano Version)”
7. “Broken Household Appliance National Forest (Piano Version)”
8. “Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground) (Piano Version)”
9. “E. Knievel Interlude (The Perils Of Keeping It Real) (Piano Version)”
10. “Miner At The Dial-A-View (Piano Version)”
11. “So You’ll Aim Toward The Sky (Piano Version)”

The Sophtware Slump 20th Anniversary Collection is out 11/20 via Dangerbird Records. Pre-order it here.

After securing a feature from 6lack on “Not Too Deep,” Los Angeles singer-songwriter India Shawn looks a little closer to home for her latest single, tapping Anderson .Paak for an ecstatic verse on “Movin’ On.” The song features stutter-stepping brass, soulful hand-claps, and a skittering drum line as Shawn sings about getting over a breakup.

Meanwhile, .Paak’s verse finds him reflecting on his own past mistakes. “Truth is, I’m running out of lies to tell,” he admits. “New chick after chick, I done lost count of excuses / ‘Bout, oh we can’t be exclusive.” If that sounds a little melancholy, it shouldn’t. The song is actually a hopeful declaration of independence, looking forward to the future and the next chance to get love right.

Although India Shawn may look a lot like a new artist, in truth, she’s a 10-year veteran of the industry, lending her pen to bigger artists behind the scenes and releasing her own EP, Origin, in 2012. After writing for Diddy’s Dirty Money collective, El Debarge, Keri Hilson, and Monica, India is ready to step out to center stage and stake her claim on some spotlight for herself.

Listen to India Shawn and Anderson .Paak’s ‘Movin’ On’ above.

Back in June, Jenny Slate, a White actress, announced that she would no longer voice Missy, a biracial character, on Netflix’s Big Mouth. “Black characters on an animated show should be played by Black people. I acknowledge how my original reasoning was flawed, that it existed as an example of white privilege and unjust allowances made within a system of societal white supremacy, and that in me playing ‘Missy,’ I was engaging in an act of erasure of Black people,” she wrote, while the show’s creators, all of whom are white, added that they would “recast a new Black actor to play her.”

Slate’s replacement has been found.

Ayo Edebiri will take over as Missy beginning with the penultimate episode of next season, Variety revealed (Slate will continue to voice her until then). “I was definitely a very uncomfortable child, so I think the show speaks to that and a lot of those feelings, which still resonate with me as an adult,” the actor, comedian, writer, and Iconography podcast host said about playing the Nathan Fillion-loving character. “I was a true dork. So I don’t think I have to go too far to connect with Missy,” as seen on Twitter.

Edebiri was already a part of Big Mouth before she got the role:

She booked the role just a few weeks ago and has already recorded her season four dialogue. She also joined the writers’ room of the show for the fifth season — a job she actually booked and began working first, given the schedule of breaking stories and penning scripts.

As for why she didn’t voice Missy for the entire fourth season, co creator Andrew Goldberg explained, “By the time we made the decision to cast Ayo, we had finished all of season four and delivered it to Netflix.” But the passing of the voice-acting baton, so to speak, comes from “a really organic and cool place.” Here’s more of Edebiri:

Big Mouth season four does not currently have a premiere date.

(Via Variety)

St. Vincent has been keen to re-imagine tracks from her latest album, 2017’s Masseduction. She dropped a remix album last year, and now she has linked up with X Japan’s Yoshiki for a new version of “New York,” which adds a distinct classical flair to the track.

St. Vincent said of the rework, “It was an honor to work with the amazing Yoshiki on this new version of ‘New York.’ Yoshiki’s arrangement added to the song in the way time or distance transform longtime friends or relationships: the original is still recognizable, but subtly and significantly altered.”

Yoshiki also noted, “As an artist, I admire how St. Vincent approaches music in an innovative and courageous way. Her music breaks the boundaries of genres, which is a mindset I can completely relate to. My band X Japan played the Coachella Festival in 2018 at the same time that St. Vincent performed, but at that time we didn’t meet. But this year, through mutual friends, we were introduced. In terms of ‘New York,’ it’s a great song to start with, and I’m grateful that she trusted me to fully rearrange the song with my classical approach. I hope St. Vincent’s fans enjoy it, and that my fans will too.”

Listen to the new version of “New York” above.

Hip-hop is moving as fast as ever. Luckily, we’re doing the work to put the best new rap music in one place for you. This week, there were videos from Octavian, Gunna, And Saint JHN, Nas, Lil Tecca, Princess Nokia, NLE Choppa, Fivio Foreign and DreamDoll, as well as Lil Keed. There were also new tracks from Cordae and Roddy Ricch, ASAP Ferg, Lil Wayne, and Jay Gwaupo, Conway and Dej Loaf, Jucee Froot, Guapdad 4000, Smino, and Thundercat, as well as Travis Scott. Here’s the best of the rest:

Bobby Sessions — “Reparations”

Bobby Sessions is speaking for millions on his “Reparations” single, where he demanded that Black people get there’s over smooth production: “Main goal, be self-sufficient, so if you with it, boss up.”

Doley Bernays — “A Week Straight” Feat. 03 Greedo

Doley Bernays paints a grim picture of the grind on “A Week Straight,” where he rhymes, “When you dealin in that same building that lil bro got killed in / nobody’s tryna learn, a body’s just a body.” 03 Greedo follows up with a fiery, melodic appearance.

Hotboii — “Don’t Need Time” Feat. Lil Baby

Lil Baby jumped on a remix of Hotboii’s “Don’t Need Time,” sounding tailor-made for the street confessional with reflections like, “I came home at the right time, it was perfect for me” over somber production.

Locksmith — “Blasphemy” Feat. KXNG CROOKED

Locksmith and Kxng Crooked are vying for lyrical supremacy on “Blasphemy,” where they trade assonant verses over slick chops of an Ohio Player’s sample popularized on N.W.A.’s ‘Dopeman.”

The Lox — Living Off Xperience

Rap legends The Lox released their Living Off Xperience album today, a project that shows that the trio is still firing on all cylinders after more than 20 years in the game. The gritty project also features guest appearances from Conway and Westside Gunn, Jeremih, T-Pain, and Ruff Ryder brethren DMX, who shows up on “Bout Sh*t.”

Lxst — “Upset”

20-year-old genre-bending artist Lxst is making a plea for love on “Upset,” a breezy, Jordan Knows-produced single where he rhymes the ever-relatable, “Tell me somethin’, I don’t wanna fall but I think that I should trust it.”

MC Eiht — “Honcho” Feat. Conway & DJ Premier

Conway got up with a pair of hip-hop legends on MC Eiht’s “Honcho,” a trip to the gun range where he and MC Eiht get as gruff as possible over Primo’s minimalist, sinister production.

Mike Will Made-It & Chief Keef — “Bang Bang”

Chief Keef paid homage to one of his iconic ad-libs on “Bang Bang,” a single from his and Mike-Will Made-It’s upcoming collaboration project. They paired the track with a dark video that merges horror and action.

Quando Rondo — Diary Of A Lost Child

This week, Quando Rondo released his 16-track Diary Of A Lost Child project, that’s as pensive and somber as it sounds. Quando shines on heartfelt tracks like “Dear Diary,” “Materialistic Pain,” and “Shooters & Movers.”

Radamiz — Synonyms Of Strength

Brooklyn’s Radamiz dropped off his Synonyms Of Strenght EP, a project that he’s been steadily crafting over the last couple of years. The seven tracks reflect that care, with impeccable lyricism laced with a slew of empowering, introspective jewels over lush production.

Rich Brian — 1999

Rich Brian is steadily growing as an artist and person, and that development is apparent throughout 1999, the reflective, melody-driven EP he dropped this week. The 7-track project is full of smooth, impeccably produced tracks that range from“Long Run” to the glossy “Love In My Pocket.”

Rich The Kid — “Too Blessed” Feat. Quavo, Takeoff

The DJ-Durel produced “Too Blessed” shows Rich The Kid praising the good life along with Takeoff and Quavo, who reminds everyone “the way that I move: chess.”

Smoove-L — “Chrome No Heart”

Brooklyn’s Smoove-L Is “[spazzin] on the beat like Mad Max” on “Chrome No Heart,” where he shows off his mastery of flow over a hypnotic soundscape.

TM88 Feat. Calboy — “War Stories”

Calboy delves into the pitfalls of the streets on “War Stories,” where he rides a gloomy TM88 beat and laments, “Mama on my ass she just want me to get a day job” instead of being in the streets.

Wifisfuneral — PAIN?

This week, Wifisfuneral dropped off PAIN?, his latest effort. The 14-track offering shows Wifisfuneral being at times pensive, down, and raunchy alongside guest artists Smoove-L, Coi Lerai, and Mariah Angeliq.

Xavier Wulf — “Trophy Boyz”

Xavier Wulf celebrates his Hollow Squad crew by deeming them the “Trophy Boyz” over Quintin Lamb’s quaking production. The two-minute track is primed to be a trunk rattler for the waning days of summer — and beyond.

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

Pioneering hip-hop group Public Enemy is returning to the record label where they first brought their revolutionary message to the world for a new album due this fall, the group announced via press release this Friday. The new project will be called What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down and will be released September 25 through Def Jam Recordings. The group also retroactively made their “Fight The Power” remix from the BET Awards the first single and officially released it for streaming.

The remix features verses from Black Thought, Jahi, Nas, Rapsody, and YG, with DJ cuts from Questlove. It was first performed at the beginning of this year’s BET Awards to honor the protests against police violence that preceded the awards show and have continued throughout the summer. Public Enemy’s 1989 message has resonated ever since, with protestors adopting the song as an unofficial theme.

The announcement is a 180-degree turnaround from where the band was to start the year. In March, the group announced it had “fired” longtime member and co-founder Flavor Flav over skipping a performance at a Bernie Sanders rally in Los Angeles. Then, later the same month, Chuck D said that he’d actually used the announcement to generate attention for the group’s new single. Although some grumbled, it apparently worked; the group’s been talked about more this year than it has in a decade, just in time to soundtrack a new revolution.

Listen to “Fight The Power: Remix 2020” above.

What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down is due 9/25 via Def Jam.

Melania Trump’s apparent “death stare” may have been the most watchable moment from the last night of the non-socially-distanced final leg of the Republican National Convention. However, news outlets were (of course) bound to discuss the issues, beyond the overarching GOP “law and order” message and the bizarre accusation that Joe Biden is responsible for the civil unrest in Trump’s America. To that end, CNN’s Daniel Dale put together a list of 20+ misleading claims from President Trump, who he called a “serial liar,” during his RNC speech. And Anderson Cooper, who had a long night, couldn’t resist grabbing some coffee to get through the list.

Yes, Dale’s reading of his list — including Trump’s claim that he’s brought down jobless claims this year to his seeming belief that he’s done more for African Americans than any president since Abe Lincoln — was an impressive feat. For three minutes, Dale continued, and yup, we’d probably all need some caffeine for this.

Following praise from NFL Network journalist and radio host Rich Eisen about his “remarkable delivery,” Dale did admit that he used a teleprompter. “I don’t usually use it,” he added. “[B]ut can’t possibly remember that crazy number of things.” No joke.

Well, social media couldn’t help but relate to Cooper’s caffeine injection.

Also, Cooper (like I said already, it was a long night for him) kicked off the evening’s festivities while chatting with former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Things grew a little heated, and Walker may not have wished to continue while Cooper pressed him over the GOP pointing the finger at Biden for U.S. civil unrest (when all of this is happening on Trump’s watch). Walker suggested that Biden’s being far too silent on the issue, and then he seemed to simply turn off the camera and walk away. Cooper was left ending the segment with a “we apologize for the, uh, signal loss.” Oh boy.

The perils of live television!