The internet is still buzzing in the wake of the high-profile collaboration between Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion but their’s isn’t the only big-name collaboration released Friday. Kali Uchis tapped Rico Nasty for an unexpected project which resulted in the sultry and smooth number “Aquí Yo Mando.”
Uchis is known for her subdued and swooning vocals but the singer takes the front seat on the new single. Teetering between Spanish and English lyrics, the singer delivers her confident verses: “Yo tomo las decisiones, yo escojo las posiciones / Puedes tener los cojones, pero yo los pantalones.” A rhythmic beat provided by Latin producer Tainy swells under Nasty’s feature, who delivers tongue-in-cheek musings about knowing what she wants. “I had no business, I’m bossy, yo quiero diamonds, I’m facíl / They wanna know what it cost me, de esas perras, me cansé,” she raps.
The collaboration arrives after both artists have had a fairly prolific year. Uchis unveiled the four-track EP To Feel Alive in order to hold fans over until she’s ready for a bigger release and Nasty has been steadily debuting singles, the gritty track “Dirty” being her latest.
Listen to “Aquí Yo Mando” above.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Coming off her well-received debut EP Industry Games earlier this year, Alabama MC Chika returns with her first new single, the lushly-produced “U Should.” Building on the flirtatious energy of her early 2020 single “Can’t Explain It,” “U Should” finds Chika preparing to shoot her shot, singing and rapping over a string-filled beat that opens with a smooth acoustic guitar and builds to sweeping orchestral flourishes, mirroring the emotional roller coaster of a new crush.
“U Should” is featured in Netflix’s upcoming superhero noir, Project Power. The film stars Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and premieres next Friday, August 14. The film follows an unlikely pairing of protagonists in pursuit of the same goal; the supplier of a drug that gives users superpowers for five minutes, but may result in dangerous overdoses that cause those powers to fatally backfire.
Chika’s profile has risen considerably during the last few months, both as a result of her excellent EP and due to her social activism during uprisings against police brutality over the summer. She documented being detained at a protest in Los Angeles after slipping her restraints to retrieve her cell phone. She also called out other artists for exploiting the protests for personal profit. But now, the focus is back on her music — right where it should be, as she lives up to the potential that Cardi B declared in her with a confident co-sign.
Press play on Chika’s “U Should” above.
Chika is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The NBA restart is now officially one week old, with most every team having played four games and halfway through their seeding round schedule. After night one, we somewhat jokingly took stock of the All-Bubble teams, but with a week of action under our belts, it’s actually a good time to take a step back and highlight the individual players that have been thriving in Orlando.
Putting together these squads is actually really difficult given the incredible caliber of play we’ve seen out of the Disney campus. On top of that, there are some truly eye-popping numbers being produced, and balancing some of those numbers with team performance makes for some very tricky decisions. As noted last time, it’s my list so my rules, and as such I go with two guard spots and three frontcourt spots, instead of having one place reserved for true centers.
There were, certainly, some tough choices to be made and some players off to tremendous starts — like De’Aaron Fox, Paul George, Jaylen Brown, and more — just fall shy of making the cut. The depth of the league has been on full display in Orlando and there have been some pleasant surprise performances, stars that have asserted their dominance, and just generally great basketball being played. Without further ado, the Week 1 NBA All-Bubble squads.
The Suns are 4-0 and are in the hunt for the Western Conference playoffs in large part due to the play of Devin Booker. He’s looked spectacular in the bubble, scoring with great efficiency, being a facilitator when needed, and hitting clutch buckets. His numbers aren’t as gaudy as some, but given Phoenix’s play, I can’t justify leaving him off the first team right now.
Honestly a toss up between Lillard and Harden right now for this spot, but I give the slight edge to Dame because of the stakes for Portland (similar to what Booker’s doing for Phoenix) and because he has the head-to-head win between the two. This is a Blazers team that needs every bit of Lillard’s scoring to get to the playoffs and he’s delivered, most recently with an 11-three outing to topple the Nuggets and pull within a half-game of Memphis for the 8-seed.
With Sabonis out and Victor Oladipo still trying to work his way back into All-Star form, the Pacers have followed the lead of T.J. Warren, the bubble’s leading score in a tie with Harden, to a 3-1 start. His 53 points in the opener was eye-popping, but he’s been the driving force for the Indiana offense in all four games. What will be interesting is how he performs going forward after the Suns showed Thursday how teams will attack him now to try and force others on Indiana to beat them, as his old squad held him to 16 points.
After losing to the Nets and falling behind by 23 in the first half of Thursday’s tilt with a Butler-less Heat team, there were a lot of people wondering what was wrong with the Bucks. The answer, as we learned in the second half, was maybe as simple as a team needing to flip the switch as they dominated Miami. Giannis got to the rim at will, as he was 12-for-12 at the rim (and 13-for-13 from two-point range overall in the game) and the Bucks defense suddenly tightened up after looking rough for the first 3.5 games of the bubble. Maybe that first half finally woke up a sleeping giant, but Giannis has been performing at his usual MVP caliber throughout.
The Sixers are officially the Joel Embiid show now that Ben Simmons is out indefinitely with a knee injury, and to this point he’s carried that load impressively through three games, pushing Philly to back-to-back wins. He’s leading the bubble in rebounding and you can add 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per game to that stat line as he does a little of everything to keep the Sixers hopes of vaulting out of the 6-seed alive.
Look, he’s a first teamer and the moment the Suns lose if he’s still doing this it’s he and Dame at the top, but for now he finds himself here simply because of the spectacular play of Booker and Lillard. Harden is doing exactly what he’s done for years now in Houston, and on Thursday he was unleashed further against the Lakers as Houston sat Russell Westbrook. He had 39 and 12 to lead the way, and his three steals per game is tops in the bubble, too, as he is thoroughly enjoying himself in the Rockets small-ball havoc defense.
Is 50/50/90 good? Yes, yes it is. FVV is going to get paid very handsomely soon and he’s proving he only further proving he can be an offensive leader for one of the league’s best teams. He leads the Raptors in scoring and assists, taking on a leading role as teams try to send attention to Siakam and Lowry, with his most impressive effort coming against the Heat on Monday. Fun fact, Toronto’s defensive rating in the bubble is 96.1 and the average in the bubble is over 112. They’re absurd on that end and VanVleet is a part of their terrifying defensive attack too.
I’m not even going to pretend to know how to appropriately judge scoring for Mavs players given their games are effectively All-Star games every night, but, I mean, what Doncic is doing is an absolute joke. That man is currently Sisyphus pushing a boulder up the hill while the Mavs attempt to win games solely on the offensive end because they have apparently taken an oath from even considering partaking in a defense. So far that’s not resulted in wins (1-3 to open the bubble) but it’s sure been entertaining.
F: Michael Porter Jr. (26.3 ppg, 10 rpg, 1.5 apg; 57.8/50/94.1 shooting)
The rookie forward for the Nuggets has nearly put together three straight 30 point outings, with 27 against Portland on Thursday, and he has given life to a Denver team that has yet to play its starting backcourt together in the bubble. As Jamal Murray continues to sit, Porter has taken on a major scoring load and is doing so with tremendous efficiency. This was always the ceiling for MPJ as an elite scorer, should his health and shot selection both come around, and if this continues once the Nuggets get to full strength they will pose some serious problems in the playoffs. Now, we just need to get the young man to log off a bit more. Good at basketball, bad at science.
It is genuinely great to see Nurk back on the floor and not just looking healthy but looking dominant. The Blazers have desperately needed his presence inside, and with him back in there Portland is firing on all cylinders. Nurkic isn’t a great defender in space, but he’s a serious presence at the rim, averaging 3.0 blocks per game in the bubble, and he adds such a different dynamic to this Blazers team that, along with the play of Lillard and C.J. McCollum, is why Portland is suddenly right in the mix for the 8-seed.
Third Team All-Bubble
Getty Image
G: Chris Paul (20.7 ppg, 7 apg, 5.7 rpg; 57.5/40/92.3 shooting)
The Point God is up to his old tricks in the bubble, as he has the Thunder clipping along at a great pace with two wins in three games as they continue to be one of the league’s most pleasant surprises this season. Everyone on OKC is chipping in on both ends, like a slightly lesser version of the Raptors two-way, egalitarian play, but Paul is the one leading the way and giving this team its edge and identity.
Speaking of giving a team its edge and identity, it’s Kyle Lowry! He’s not finishing as well as he’d like in the bubble, but he is doing everything else for this Raptors team. He’s the leader of the bubble’s best team, is somehow seventh in rebounding in the bubble with the next shortest guy in the top-10 being Doncic, and sets the tone at the point of attack for the NBA’s best defense. His numbers aren’t as wild as some, but his impact is as big as anyone in the bubble.
Kawhi and Paul George have almost identical numbers, with Kawhi just edging his teammate in every category. As such, he lands here, but you can basically combine them for this spot. The two stars for the Clippers have had to really carry the load as their bench unit tries to find its rhythm without some key pieces and with guys like Lou Williams just getting back on the floor. The results have been mixed for the team, but Leonard and George’s play has to produce some optimism going into the playoffs provided they get the usual production from the rest of the supporting cast.
Again, the Mavs historic offense and their horrific defense have kind of broken my brain. These are absurd numbers, even accounting for a 4-game sample, but the team is 1-3 and Porzingis (like Doncic) have plenty to do with Dallas’ defensive woes. Still, they’re the only reason they are in games, although both have had serious struggles late in games hitting shots as evidenced by their three-point percentage. I wouldn’t argue with anyone that wants to vote someone else in in this spot like PG, AD, Ayton, or someone else, but 30 and 10 are some wild numbers.
It really is kind of wild that the Nuggets are 2-2 given their backcourt rotation thus far, and point Jokic is a big reason for their success. His 10 assists per game leads the team, as he’s served as the table-setter for the Denver offense in an even greater way than usual. He’s not hitting threes yet, but everything else has been vintage Joker.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
It took Aminé over two years to complete his sophomore album. You wouldn’t think it to look at the tracklist, a trim 14 tracks, including one interlude. It’s an anomaly in today’s rap release climate, where seemingly every major star drops off 20-plus tracks per project, then follows up a month later with 10 more “deluxe” edition throwaways. In contrast, Limbo — the title of Aminé’s second official studio album — is a refreshing throwback to the days when artists still cared about a vision more than streams and Billboard.
However, were it not for Aminé’s 2018 EP/Mixtape OnePointFive, he wouldn’t have been able to create Limbo. Today’s constant content churn would never have allowed him to insist on recording all the album’s features in person with his various collaborators. On a Zoom call to discuss the creation of the project, Aminé related holding onto the beat for “Roots,” against JID’s insistence that he text it for over six months. This is the kind of patience that yields tremendous results and Limbo’s finished product is all the evidence you’d need to prove it’s an objectively better way to record than just emailing files back and forth.
Aminé first displayed his tendency toward artistic perfectionism with his 2017 debut album Good For You. Aside from diligently detailing the aesthetics he wanted for the rollout, he also resisted the urge to chase the success of his breakout single “Caroline” with a dozen or so clones. Every song on Good For You has its own concept or story, and all the songs together create a multifaceted reflection of the artist himself. He even accompanied the project’s unveiling with a clever complement: At various release parties throughout the country, he gave away copies of a complete newspaper filled with articles written by his friends, family, and Aminé himself.
And while the overall tone of the project was breezy, sunny, and upbeat, Aminé wasn’t afraid to tackle heavier subject matter from oblique angles, like “Turf” and its empathetic view of the ongoing gentrification of Aminé’s hometown, Portland. On Limbo, he repeats the feat with “Becky,” a glittering, soulful meditation on race relations that remains timely despite being the first song recorded for the project two years ago. Switching from his mischievous rap flow to a ‘70s soul-influenced croon, Aminé frames his racial rumination around a piece of near-universal advice for Black kids everywhere: “Mama said, ‘Don’t ever bring a white girl home to me.’”
On our call, he told me that it wasn’t only about the inherent complexities of interracial dating so much as it was a reminisce on growing up Black in Portland — a nearly objectively dangerous proposition in any decade (seriously, look up the history of the city as a bastion of white supremacy). But that’s the way Aminé approaches the writing throughout the album. On the perky single “Riri,” what sounds like an ode to a pretty, potential lady friend is really an indictment of said would-be paramour, who’s broken Aminé’s heart not just once, but three times.
Likewise, “Fetus” featuring Injury Reserve and the last verse from late member Stepa J. Groggs finds Aminé struggling with the prospect of fatherhood — not because of his own personal readiness, but because of the state of a world where “They givin’ guns with every muthaf*ckin’ Happy Meal.” The content throughout the album is mature and thoughtful, but never heavy-handed or preachy, lending itself to multiple play-throughs to appreciate the sparkling production, then the ear-gripping choruses, and finally, Aminé’s improved pen game throughout.
Aminé said he was most proud of that latter aspect, often re-writing verses over and over to ensure there were no weaknesses in his bar work. Again, that perfectionism is on display most with his battle-rapping Ol’ Dirty Bastard homage “Shimmy,” on which he shouts out actor Dennis Haysbert with one of the funniest lines of the year, reminds his competition to pay their taxes, and flips a reference to classic Black cinema into an urge to check out one of the most pioneering musicians in African music. No weak links or smudges on this pristine chain.
From paying homage to Kobe Bryant on the swaggering “Woodlawn” to loving on his matriarch alongside soul legend Charlie Wilson on “Mama,” Aminé proves his gifts over and over on Limbo. Although he describes the album as a “mid-life crisis,” it’s much more akin to a coming-of-age for the 26-year-old star — and he is a star, because Limbo is going to make him one. The Portland performer is the definition of an artist who genuinely cares about his craft, putting in the time, the work, and the patience to deliver a concise statement that goes against the grain. The title of Limbo may not be a reference to the party game, but the album sets the bar for an album that will have an impact long after those first-week streams are tallied up.
Limbo is out now via Republic Records. Get it here.
Taylor Swift has been known to hide easter eggs in her music, and she has done so on her new album, Folklore. The album features a song called “Betty,” and in the lyrics, Swift sings about multiple characters. Now, Swift has confirmed who these fictional people are named after.
Swift was introducing the song on Country Radio and explained the meaning behind it, saying:
“He lost the love of his love, basically, and doesn’t understand how to get it back. I think we all have these situations in our lives where we learn to really, really give a heartfelt apology for the first time. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody really misses up sometimes. This is a song that I wrote from the perspective of a 17-year-old boy. I’ve always loved that in music you can kind of slip into different identities, and you can sing from other people’s perspectives. So that’s what I did on this one. And I named all the characters in this story after my friends’ kids, and I hope you like it.”
“Everyone makes mistakes, everybody really misses up sometimes. This is a song that I wrote from the perspective of a 17 year old boy. I named all the characters in this story after my friend’s kids, and I hope you like it!” — Taylor Swift introducing “betty” on Country Radio pic.twitter.com/CQE8Vgoc4I
Two of the names that Swift mentions in the song are those of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ daughters, Inez and James, the latter of whom previously featured on Swift’s “Gorgeous.” These name-drops had fans convinced that “Betty” revealed the name of Lively and Reynolds’ third child, which neither the couple nor Swift have confirmed. Lively did share a congratulatory message upon the release of Folklore, though, writing, “Can we all please crawl inside that piano with you and live in this album… Like you, Folklore is full of heart, soul, humour, passion, intelligence, wit, whimsy, reality, imagination, strength, vulnerability, and above all things: Love.”
Candace Parker playing at her best should probably trigger some sort of WNBA mercy rule. The two-time MVP is a one-woman transition bucket who slices through any matchup. As long as the Sparks put a good team around her, which they have in 2020, peak Parker puts the team over the top as a championship contender.
It should worry every team in the WNBA that we’ve seen that version of Parker lately. Over the past two games, Parker has filled up the stat sheet like only she can, helping the brilliant, dynamic Sparks start to fulfill their potential.
When Parker steps on a WNBA court, she sees a game she changed. Back in 2008, when she was the Rookie of the Year and MVP in her first WNBA season, her combination of smooth play-making, athletic defense, and three-level shot creation ushered in a new era of women’s basketball. For nearly a decade, Parker was a lock for 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and a couple steals and blocks per night. She’s only missed the playoffs once, evidence that Parker’s presence has ensured a pretty good team for basically her entire life.
The league’s past two MVPs also show how Parker changed the league. Breanna Stewart and Elena Delle Donne are simply the logical evolution of Parker — better scorers, smoother with the ball, a bit longer and quicker. But there are a few things the legendary Parker has that still separate her from the rest of the WNBA’s great players, and they could decide the 2020 championship.
This week, it was as if Parker remembered a few of them in real time. Against the Storm on Saturday, Parker got the Sparks back into the game by churning the team’s offense. Parker has few peers as a playmaker in all of basketball, moving the ball in a way that renders measuring assists useless. This one counts as an assist, but shows how Parker can create a great shot out of thin air. It’s a weapon no other team really has.
Los Angeles ultimately lost their battle with the league-leading Storm, but four nights later (the most rest L.A. will get all season), Parker was back at it, and this time got herself going offensively even more. Like LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo, any bit of space is too much when Parker has the ball in transition.
Because the Sparks have surrounded Parker with other fantastic, multi-skilled play-makers like Chelsea Gray and Nneka Ogwumike, the team is liable to turn defense into offense at a moment’s notice. When Parker wasn’t launching outlet passes all over the court to open teammates on Wednesday night in a blowout win over the Fever, she was reminding everyone of the magic she can create getting to the hoop.
Not only is Parker one of the only players in the WNBA who can match a player like Stewart move for move, she also may be the best at exploiting mismatches against bigger front court players as well. Indiana boasts one of the best young centers in the league in Teaira McCowan, finally in the team’s starting lineup in time to get bullied by the sage vet.
A flurry of up-and-unders, spin moves and dribble drives reminded McCowan why she still has a way to go, and why Parker is the ultimate advantage at center. Parker, unlike Stewart or Delle Donne (out this season with a back injury), also has the strength and footwork to bump around with the biggest bigs, and can finish through them. With a teammate like Ogwumike, another physical combo big and former MVP, Parker also gets the benefit of tinkering with matchups to exploit opponents even more.
This version of Parker was missing in 2019, but if it’s here to stay in 2020, the Sparks have to be among the favorites. Los Angeles dropped the game against Seattle because players like Gray and breakout wing Brittney Sykes were quiet, but everything comes together when Parker plays this way. If she can keep it up, Los Angeles can redeem its loss in the league semifinals last year.
Another peak season from the ageless Parker, combined with a roster that suits her so well, gives the WNBA another legitimate title contender and gives fans the show they’ve been missing since 2018 — a show only Parker can put on.
Ahead of Jaden‘s dreamy performance of his new song “Cabin Fever” on The Tonight Show, host Jimmy Fallon called it the “ultimate quarantine love song.” Interviewing the young star via video chat, Fallon asks about how it came together, prompting Jaden to explain, “It was written in a time when I really wanted to see somebody but we both couldn’t see each other and the world was just keeping us apart.” If that’s not a quarantine anthem, I don’t know what is.
Jaden also explains the concept of the hippie-ish music video that accompanies “Cabin Fever,” saying “it’s going into that daydream of, ‘What if we could see each other? What would it be like if we did hang out?” He then goes onto reproduce the aesthetic of the video with his performance, setting a stage overlooking the California hills at sunset. The car from the video rests in the background under a rainbow banner, while Jaden himself makes sure to utilize every square inch of the glossy stage, throwing in some Michael Jackson-esque dance moves, including his own unique take on the iconic Moonwalk.
The interview also makes clear that Jaden has a new project coming out soon and that his love of David Bowie influenced his decision to try a new sound. He also explains his latest philanthropic endeavor after he previously used a food truck to deliver healthy meals to the homeless in LA.
Watch Jaden’s performance of “Cabin Fever” and his interview with The Tonight Show‘s Jimmy Fallon above.
While their entrances into the hip-hop world differ by a little over a decade, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz have delivered a plethora of collaborations, including their joint album Collegrove, their undeniable classic, “Duffle Bag Boy,” as well as other fan favorites including “Rich As F*ck” and “Yuck!.” Striking the match once more in their careers, 2 Chainz concludes the night of his Verzuz battle with Rick Ross with yet another collaboration.
Coming together for the umpteenth time in their careers, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz get to work on their new single, “Money Maker.” The upbeat track finds Wayne and Chainz laying their best verses over the drumline-esque beat, back by rapid-fire drums and roaring trumpets. Following the concept of Ludacris and Pharrell’s classic song of the same title, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz show some support for their special woman and her physical features. The song serves as their first offering since 2 Chainz lent a verse to Wayne’s “Know You Know” from his Funeral album.
The single may land on 2 Chainz upcoming sixth album, one that he’s been teasing since late last year. On the flip side, the song may appear on the two rapper’s upcoming Collegrove 2, which 2 Chainz confirmed will arrive this year.
When Batista returned to the WWE for his final match in 2019, there was no questions that “The Animal” wanted to end his career on his own terms. His run back to the squared circle in 2014 started with an almost certain championship win at WrestleMania before Daniel Bryan’s meteoric rise shifted reported plans.
While promoting Room 104, Batista spoke with Uproxx about his professional wrestling career, having sway when he was “making millions of dollars” for WWE, and that infamous 2014 run.
“So, throughout the rest of my wrestling career, I had a lot of input. There was one time I went back for a few months after I had left to do films. I went back with a certain understanding that I would have influence on my storylines. It was all stripped away from me and I lost control and it ended up being a disaster,” Batista said. “And I said that I would never come back until I could control my narrative and what I was doing in professional wrestling. And they let me do that, which is why I went back last year and I retired. I closed up my career, but they let me do it my way. And I think it was great.”
Batista would return to Hollywood shortly after his feud with The Shield ended, before meeting Triple H in a one-match farewell at WrestleMania 35.
Read more from Batista’s interview promoting HBO’s Room 104here.
The Talking Sopranos podcast is a must-listen for fans of The Sopranos, as co-hosts Michael Imperioli (Christopher) and Steve Schirripa (Bobby) break down every episode of the HBO series. I would also recommend following Imperioli on Instagram, otherwise you’d never know that James Gandolfini was apparently a huge Green Day fan.
The actor recently shared a photo of himself with Gandolfini, who tragically died in 2013, and in the comments, someone asked, “What kind of music was Jim into?” Imperioli replied, “Green Day.” It seemed like a joke at first, with another follower adding “yeah f*ckin’ right, Jim listening to Dookie would be an honor to watch,” but Chrissy wasn’t lying: “He would play the vinyl of Dookie in his trailer at work… He loved Green Day.”
James always struck me as more of an Insomniac guy, but guess not.
Picturing James Gandolfini enthusiastically singing along to Longview and feeling a serene calm wash over my body pic.twitter.com/nCnOFHx4MZ
As far as I can recall, no Green Day songs were ever played on The Sopranos (American Idiot came out during A.J.’s nu-metal phase), but Gandolfini has brought up the punk band in profiles before. Like this one from 2004, “Garden State Warrior: 11 Moments with James Gandolfini” by Chris Heath, who writes, “He asks me whether I have heard Green Day’s new album yet and talks about the enduring appeal of Lynyrd Skynyrd.” We sadly never found out what Gandolfini thinks of “Jesus of Suburbia.”
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
