Category: Trending

It’s Sexyy Red’s moment right now. The St. Louis rapper’s wishes are all coming true; she’s met (and opened for) Drake, she got a cute photo with Tyler The Creator, and she’s set to turn cities across America into Pound Town satellites with her upcoming Hood Hottest Princess Tour. She’s got a lot of momentum, and it looks like she’s not letting any of it slip away.

Next on her agenda is a remix of her Hood Hottest Princess single “Hellcats & SRTS” featuring none other than Lil Durk. The two rappers had a humorous exchange recently when Durk teased the upcoming collab, but accidentally misspelled Red’s rap name in his tweet. “Feel like going on my feature run,” he wrote. “I’m healed….First stop sexy red second stop ytbFATT.”

The error prompted her to tease him with a typo of her own (albeit an intentional one), writing, “Dang u gon spell my name wrong Lil Jerk?”

The two rappers kept the gag going this week, with Durk sharing a screenshot of his DAW (digital audio workstation) session featuring the reveal of the collab’s title and a joking, even worse misspelling of “cexy reddd” for the artist name. She came right back, cracking, “Ok lol luh derk got me lost for words right now.” The funny exchange has both rappers’ fans hype for the collab; clearly, if they have this much chemistry online, their musical connection is going to be a must-listen.

Róisín Murphy finds herself in some hot water at the moment.

Over the past week or so, a screenshot of a Murphy comment on Facebook has made the rounds. In it, she seemingly responds to being called a “TERF,” which stands for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.” The comment reads, “Please don’t call me a terf, please don’t keep using that word against women [folded hands emojis] I beg you! but puberty blockers ARE F*CKED, absolutely desolate, big Pharma laughing all the way to the bank. Little mixed up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected, that’s just true.”

Now, she offered a statement in response this morning (August 29). It begins, “I have been thrown into a very public discourse in an arena I’m uncomfortable in and deeply unsuitable for. I cannot apologise enough for being the reason for this eruption of damaging and potentially dangerous social-media fire and brimstone. To witness the ramifications of my actions and the divisions it has caused is heartbreaking.”

She also explained the story behind her comment, saying, “I’ve had a personal Facebook account for years. The morning I made these comments I was scrolling and I brought up a specific issue that was only broadly related to the original post. It was something that had been on my mind. I knew my friends were informed about the topic. I should’ve known too that I was stepping out of line.”

It appears this could be Murphy’s last comment on the matter, as she wrote, “I will now completely bow out of this conversation within the public domain. I’m not in the slightest bit interested in turning it into ANY kind of ‘campaign’, because campaigning is not what I do.”

Read Murphy’s full statement below.

“I have been thrown into a very public discourse in an arena I’m uncomfortable in and deeply unsuitable for. I cannot apologise enough for being the reason for this eruption of damaging and potentially dangerous social-media fire and brimstone. To witness the ramifications of my actions and the divisions it has caused is heartbreaking.

I’ve had a personal Facebook account for years. The morning I made these comments I was scrolling and I brought up a specific issue that was only broadly related to the original post. It was something that had been on my mind. I knew my friends were informed about the topic. I should’ve known too that I was stepping out of line.

I’ve spent my whole life celebrating diversity and different views, but I never patronise or cynically aim my music directly at the pockets of any demographic.

The music I make is the core of everything I do and it’s ever- evolving, freewheeling and unpredictable. For those of you who are leaving me, or have already left, I understand, I really do, but please know I have loved every one of you. I have always been so proud of my audience and understood the privilege of performing for you, all through the years.

I am so sorry my comments have been directly hurtful to many of you. You must have felt a huge shock, blindsided by this so abruptly. I understand fixed views are not helpful but I really hope people can understand my concern was out of love for all of us.

I will now completely bow out of this conversation within the public domain. I’m not in the slightest bit interested in turning it into ANY kind of ‘campaign’, because campaigning is not what I do. Though I completely understand that for others activism is their true calling, and is necessary and legitimate in a democracy. My true calling is music and music will never exclude any of us, I believe it will always be one of the greatest tools we can use to create a culture of tolerance. Thank you for taking the trouble to read this.

I’m Gone Fishing.

Sincerely, Róisín [heart emoji].”

Elton John, just after wrapping his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, had a fall and landed in the hospital.

“Following a slip yesterday at his home in the south of France, Elton visited the local hospital as a precautionary measure,” Elton John’s representative shared in a statement with Today. “Following checkups, he was immediately discharged this morning and (he is) now back at home and in good health.”

The news follows a string of medical issues for John. Last year, there were rumors that he was using a wheelchair, but he later clarified why that was the case.

“The true story is that I’m in top health, loving my shows and playing and singing at my very best,” John shared on Instagram. “I give 100% every night and never want to disappoint, especially after everyone has waited so long to get back to seeing shows. Your response to every show has been phenomenal and I’m loving every minute of it.”

He added that it had been a long walk to his plane, so he used a wheelchair to give his hip some rest after playing a show.

The year prior, in 2021, John received hip surgery for having an “awkward” fall on a “hard surface,” according to the publication.

Thankfully, he still seems to be in good shape, even after the recent incident.

Earlier this week, Atlanta rapper JID celebrated the one-year anniversary of his third studio album, The Forever Story, on Instagram. Then, in an Instagram Live stream, he revealed his plans for not just one, but multiple follow-ups, including his previously-teased joint project with Metro Boomin.

In a clip captured by a fan account, JID jokes that he’s too “old” for Instagram while promising three projects: a “two-pack” with fellow Atlantan Lil Yachty coming in a few days, a new album in the fall, and then, the Metro Boomin project. The project dropping in the fall is allegedly called Forever & A Day, which sounds like it could be an extension of The Forever Story. He says it’ll be around ten songs, but doesn’t reveal much else, like collaborators or producers.

These tracks with Lil Yachty sound intriguing as well, as Yachty has been both incredibly productive and fascinatingly creative lately, dropping both the psych-rock project Let’s Start Here and a slew of compelling freestyles this year. JID, meanwhile, has been touring his album; earlier this year, he and Smino embarked on their Luv Is 4ever Tour, and now, he’s overseas.

If the Metro Boomin project drops this year, it’ll complete an all-time run for the St. Louis producer, who dropped Heroes & Villains in December, the Across The Spider-Verse soundtrack in June, Business Is Business with Young Thug later that month, sold part of his catalog for $70 million, and has been working on projects with ASAP Rocky and Future in addition to JID. Whew.

As a wise woman once said, “August slipped away like a moment in time.” Thankfully, despite the summer going by in a blink, the songs from this week can stick with you forever. There’s a wide-spanning range of genre influences to choose from, including a pop-country crossover, K-Pop, the return of not one but two former Disney stars, and so much more.

Check out Uproxx’s Best New Pop roundup below.

Selena Gomez – “Single Soon”

Selena Gomez returned to the joy of fans with “Single Soon.” Perfect for ushering in your hot girl era, the video finds the pop star breaking up with someone via a post-it note, channeling the chaotic Sex And The City moment, but with a better spin on it.

Zach Bryan, Kacey Musgraves – “I Remember Everything”

Zach Bryan brought on Kacey Musgraves for his emotional “I Remember Everything,” a standout from his new self-titled album. The two musicians offer differing perspectives in each of the verses, with Bryan coping by drinking and Musgraves reminiscing as their relationship comes to an end.

Miley Cyrus – “Used To Be Young”

“Used To Be Young” is a powerful reflection from Miley Cyrus, who is looking back on her headline-making moments — especially with her 2013 album, Bangerz, turning ten this year. Next month, she’ll release an anniversary edition for it. But now, she is offering the fact that despite people thinking she used to be wild, she was just a young adult heading into life’s craziness.

Blackpink – “The Girls”

Blackpink is back in your area, as the popular band dropped “The Girls” for their first new song this year. “Live fast, we do it like that / And we don’t lie, we born to be mad / Better come right or never come back / Don’t mess with the girls,” they warn, showing both that they can be fun and tough.

Conan Gray – “Winner”

“I wrote this song at 2 a.m. — everything at the piano just spilled out all at once,” Conan Gray shared about the heartbreaking “Winner” in a statement. “It was a moment where I finally felt like, ‘Fine. Great job. You did it. You hurt me more than anybody ever could hurt me.’ And it oddly felt nice.”

Charlotte Cardin — “Someone I Could Love”

Charlotte Cardin’s new album, 99 Nights, arrived this week. “Someone I Could Love” finds her taking a romantic spin in a song about an unexpected relationship that returned to her at a better time.

Ashnikko, Ethel Cain — “Dying Star”

A highlight from Ashnikko’s new album, Weedkiller, is her collaboration with Ethel Cain titled “Dying Star.” The ballad closes out the record on a strong and hopeful note, as the two musicians both weave themes of the South and religion into their work — making it a fitting choice.

Omar Apollo – “Ice Slippin”

“’Ice Slippin’ is about reliving the thoughts I had passing through my mind the winter I came out to my family. Receiving cold judgment as opposed to the acceptance I felt I deserved,” Apollo said about his new release, where he struggled with a real-life situation. “This song is a reflection and reaction of all the emotions I had to face before and after I decided to leave the icy streets of Indiana.”

Corook — “Emergency Contact”

“The song itself plays like a conversation between me and my whimsical friends cheering me on to go for the girl of my dreams,” Corook pointed out about “Emergency Contact,” which provides a lighter, more “energetic” aspect from their forthcoming EP.

Gayle – “Leave Me For Dead”

Gayle is going through the emotional turmoil of someone whose “bad intentions” held her attention, as she details the chaotic ending to it all over a pop-rock instrumental.

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

Skip Bayless is one of sports media’s most opinionated anchors. While Undisputed viewers might not always argue with his hot takes, there’s one thing he got right: Lil Wayne had something special in store. After weeks of teasing fans of the show with updates regarding the show’s updated direction, the show made its official return to airwaves yesterday (August 28) with all new co-hosts and theme song.

Bayless claimed Wayne’s new track for the song would outdo his 2016 contribution “No Mercy,” and he didn’t exaggerate. The rapper’s new record, “Good Morning,” was the fresh musical update the show needed.

As clever as ever, in the song’s lyrics, Wayne works in his love for sports and undeniable pen, “Good Morning, it’s Weezy FS1 / Skip the BS and put everybody after VS / P.S. all I spit is F-A-C-T-S / The best, Skip Bayless, yeah, say less / Top of the top, apex, everyday flex / If you ain’t got no haters, you ain’t poppin’, I ain’t tryin’ to hate / Let’s have a Jordan and LeBron debate, I got time of day / Drippin’ on the chain, my diamonds say what they gotta say / If you think it’s a game, I commentate, I ain’t got to play / On in the morning, I own my opponent / My competition is not an issue, just cotton tissue / Unconventional, controversial, convoluted / Unconditional, undeterred, and undisputed.”

In addition to the new song, the host revealed on The Skip Bayless Show that Wayne would also stop in weekly as a co-host.

“Wayne has agreed every Friday going forward to do a segment with me live. He might not always be in the studio, depending on his schedule. But he’s going to be joining me every Friday,” said Bayless. Based on Bayless’ statement, Wayne’s first appearance is slated for this Friday, September 1.

Listen to the show’s new theme song above.

Cornerback Sauce Gardner put together a sensational rookie season with the New York Jets, earning Rookie Defensive Player of the Year honors after posting a season with 75 tackles, two interceptions, and an incredible 20 passes defensed — with fellow Jets rookie Garrett Wilson winning the award on the offensive side. With those two young stars at premium positions, the Jets went out and traded for Aaron Rodgers to help expedite their leap into being a contender in the AFC.

Gardner quickly made friends with his new superstar quarterback, going to a Knicks game with Rodgers after the trade was finalized and making sure to try and soak in as much knowledge as he can from the four-time MVP for however long he’s in New York. That has already paid dividends for Gardner, who explained to us how Rodgers was able to let him know about a coverage tell he had that tipped whether the Jets were in zone or man. He also says Rodgers helped him embrace a more team-focused mindset in camp, looking at it less as a competition to win every time and more as a chance for he and Wilson to help each other refine their games.

Gardner will hope to put those new lessons on display against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, as the Jets get their opener on Monday Night Football in a game that figures to be a measuring stick for how close they are to the AFC East’s top team. On Monday, Gardner spoke with Uproxx Sports on behalf of Buffalo Wild Wings, where his Sauce Sauce (sweet, spicy BBQ) is back on the menu for football season, about camp, Rodgers’ early influence on his game, battles with Wilson, turning deflections into more interceptions, the motivation he gets from Darrelle Revis, and Sauce’s favorite sauces.

How has camp gone and how are you feeling as y’all get ready for Week 1 now that the preseason is out of the way?

Camp has been great. You know, the competition was there — offense, defense, special teams. Brotherhood, the team bonding has been great. The biggest thing is I’m just blessed to be healthy and just have a healthy camp. Just be able to just look forward to this upcoming season and the game versus the Bills on September 11.

You mentioned the competition in camp, which for you a lot of that is going up against Garrett Wilson. What are the ways you two are able to push each other and how does going up against a guy like that make you better when he’s in your own building?

I would probably say if I beat him, if he beat me, just being able to be more mature about it now. It’s Year 2, so now it’s more so, ‘Hey, what did you see here?’ Garrett asked me how did I know he’s running a certain route. I tell him basically it’s a stem, or it’s his pad level. And me asking him, ‘Hey, how did you know I was gonna do this? How you know I was gonna jump jam? How you know I was gonna do this?’ And me being able to give him some pointers. That’s one thing I learned from Aaron when Aaron first got here, he said like we need to just be able to help each other out. I never really thought about it like that. I always — I’m not gonna necessarily say I was selfish — but I just thought me winning is all that mattered, especially when you in camp. Just being able to take that professional approach to be able to help my teammates and them help me, you know, that’s been great.

Yeah, obviously we’ve been able to see that you and Aaron have been able to become pretty close. But what do you learn from him on the field about what elite quarterbacks are trying to do and what they’re seeing from you and how they can try to take advantage of when you tip things?

He done gave me some beats on myself as far as when he know I’m playing man versus when I’m playing zone. And you know, that’s one of those things that I cleaned up real fast. Basically he said my pad level was how he would know. If I’m looking at him or not looking at my man, so little stuff like that he helped me with. It might sound like somethin’ little but that’s huge because if quarterback gets a beat that’s all it takes for them know what defense we’re playin. And you know, it’s definitely embarrassing if to beat or the tell is on the corner.

What were your biggest lessons from your rookie year? You had a great year but what were the things you were on the pull watching your own film and take in the summer and say these are the points that I’m focusing on in building off of that?

The main thing I’ll say is takeaways. I just want to get the ball more, get more interceptions. Cause I had a lot of opportunities to get into interceptions but I ain’t make the most out of all of them. You know, a lot of em was pass breakups. And now it’s Year 2, it’s time to turn those into interceptions.

Definitely. You were there for Hall of Fame Game weekend and you got to see Darrelle Revis go in the Hall of Fame. Have you gotten a chance to talk with him and is there anything you’ve been able to pull from from him and a Jets legend like that?

Yeah I talked to Rev. First of all, it’s just motivation being able to play for a team with a cornerback who went into the Hall of Fame. That’s motivation because that’s something I want to do. And probably one of the biggest pointers he gave me is don’t make the moment too big. It’s just great, especially going into a game, 9/11, everybody watching but you know it’s one of those things don’t make the moment too big. You know, I play football. That’s all I’m basically doing it’s just on Monday night.

You’ve got this Buffalo Wild Wings partnership and you got to go undercover as a waiter this year. What was that like getting to have some fun with working with them for a second straight year?

Man, it was great. It was something I kind of envisioned myself doing at some point in my life, cause I seen other professional athletes do it. It was just great. That’s one thing that I like about being able to be with Buffalo Wild Wings, it’s just so fun and creative. The ideas that I could come up with, the ideas that they can come up with and us just being able to bounce ideas off of each other, it’s great. One of my biggest moments out of going undercover and being a waiter for B-Dubs, I’ll probably say that I dumped the whole bottle of my sauce on someone else’s wings. I think it was like lemon pepper, it was a different flavor that he had and I just took my sauce and just dumped it all over his plate. You know he didn’t really take it the wrong way. You know he had fun with it and I had fun as well. Not too many people caught on to who I was when I was undercover which is good thing but it wasn’t good enough because I was almost 100 percent sure that nobody was gonna know who I was, but I think like one or two families had a feeling of who I was — which is cool but all in all it was a great experience.

I know your Sauce Sauce is coming back but what are your top three wing sauces?

You talkin’ about besides Sauce Sauce?

Yeah, besides Sauce sauce, cause I’m sure that’s at the top.

I’ll probably say Hot BBQ, which is coming back as well. Lemon Pepper, and Sweet BBQ. In that order. Wait, no, Hot BBQ, Sweet BBQ, then Lemon Pepper.

Despite its massive runtime and incredibly stacked cast, Christopher Nolan shot Oppenheimer in just 60 days. However, that wasn’t his original plan for his epic tale about the father of the atomic bomb.

According to production designer Ruth De Jong, Nolan had prepped for an 85-day shoot. The director had planned to film all over the world, but he quickly pivoted when he realized the cost required to recreate Los Alamos, the New Mexico town where the Manhattan Project began its work on the devastating bombs that would be deployed in World War II.

De Jong told the Team Deakins podcast that Nolan instructed her to “forget the money” and start designing a model for Los Alamos. But when the first construction estimate came in at $20 million, Nolan told her to stop while he did his “homework.” De Jong was not prepared for what happened next.

Via Variety:

“The producers were asking what I could do on my end to shrink [the budget]. Tom then comes into my office and says, ‘Chris is going to shoot this in 55 days.’ That is a lot of money we get back! At that point you feel like I have to deliver above and beyond because he just went and gave up his days. He, more than anyone, knows what he wants to get in every single day and how he wants to get it and he goes from 85 to 55 days.”

De Jong called Nolan’s decision “the most incredible thing” because the director was clearly dedicated to the importance of set design. Thanks to the 30 day cut in filming, De Jong was able to build Los Alamos “from scratch” and the detail shows in the final product.

(Via Variety)

21 Savage‘s discography contains plenty of gun talk, but soon, fans will be able to put his gunplay wordplay to the test — virtually — when he joins Call Of Duty‘s growing list of “operators” inspired by real-life rap heroes. Last year, Snoop Dogg was the first to enter the game series, while earlier this year, Nicki Minaj joined in after featuring in a recent ad for the games (toting a pink assault rifle, no less — shout-out to the “Blick Blick” video).

The London/Atlanta rapper is slated to arrive in the next DLC bundle, Season 05 Reloaded, for Modern Warfare II and Warzone. The bundle is slated to drop on August 30 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET across all platforms. According to Call Of Duty‘s official blog, the drop includes a new Resurgence experience, a new Multiplayer map, additional DMZ missions, and other content that will carry forward to the next game in the series, Modern Warfare III.

21 Savage voices himself in the game, of course, and his abilities and Weapon Blueprints all take tongue-in-cheek inspiration from his lyrics. For example, his preferred Secondary Weapon is a knife — you know, like his tattoo or his “Knife Talk” single with Drake — while his Finishing Move is called “Stabbed . . . a Lot.” You can grab the bundle, which includes vehicle skins, stickers, and other odds and ends, with the rest of the DLC on 8/30.

This past spring, Chance The Rapper celebrated the tenth anniversary of his second mixtape Acid Rap. Released on April 23, 2013, the project not only catapulted Chance into the national spotlight but went on to be a crowned jewel of the blog and mixtape eras and a classic release overall from the 2010s hip-hop era. In a tweet six months after releasing the project, Chance wrote, “im not the guy to say acidrap was the best project of 2013. but i’ll say my project did more for me than anyone else’s did for them.” At that time, it remained to be seen exactly what Acid Rap would do for Chance, but over the last decade, we’ve seen that Chance’s statement was true. The success of Acid Rap can be attributed to putting Chance in position to later secure his first Grammy wins, gain meetings with the president at The White House, land gigs as a marquee festival headliner, and now, hold a packed-out night in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to celebrate the mixtape’s tenth anniversary.

Truthfully, it’s just as surprising as it isn’t that Chance packed out Barclays Center. On one hand, social media paints Chance as a has-been who fumbled his position at the top of rap with his underwhelming debut album The Big Day. On the other hand, most of us know that social media is often a poor representation of what is true in the real world. Furthermore, the tenth-anniversary show for Acid Rap allowed fans who were too young or too distanced to see performances from that era, or those who wanted to relive their experiences from the rapper’s glory days, to engage in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s the perfect recipe for a sold-out show, something that Chance needed for himself as he prepares to enter a new era.

The dominating element in the arena for the Acid Rap tenth-anniversary show was gratitude, most especially from Chance The Rapper to the audience. Beginning with a trio of records from his 2016 mixtape Coloring Book, a project that got a lot of airtime at the show, Chance stepped forth with a triumphant entrance to “No Problems.” Steering into renditions of “All Night” and “Blessings,” it was clear that he was extremely thankful for this moment. The gratitude from the Chicago rapper only amplified as he transitioned into Acid Rap tracks. After performances of “Good Ass Intro,” “Pusha Man,” and “Paranoia,” Chance championed the crowd and reminded them of the unique moment at hand. “There’s no fake fans in the building tonight,” he proclaimed. “I’ll probably never do a show like this again.”

Ten years removed from the firestarter release in his career, Chance is still just as grateful for the spotlight as he was when Acid Rap first came out. He later interrupts his performance of “Juice” to share an anecdote about meeting with labels in New York City, filming the music video for the song in the city, and how everything changed once he returned to Chicago. Moments like these are scattered throughout Chance’s career as contributors to his success, both before and after the release of Acid Rap. The same could be said about his longtime collaborators, some of whom were present at Barclays. Chance extended this same gratitude to them throughout the night, whether it be Saba during performances of “Everybody’s Something” and “Angels” or Joey Badass for “The Highs & The Lows.”

The sweetest moments came as he thanked members of his band one by one for years of collaboration and support in and outside of his music before bringing out Vic Mensa. Beside Acid Rap in 2013 came Vic Mensa’s Innanetape, and together, both projects highlighted the best of what was to come from Chicago’s rap scene at the time. Both Chance and Vic supplied verses to one another on their projects through “Cocoa Butter Kisses” and “Tweakin,’” and together the duo made it out and achieved undoubtable success. In past years, it seemed like there was a rift between the two rappers, but more recently, performances together and an uptick in collaborations confirmed that all is well between them. So as Chance and Vic shared words and embraced before performing “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” you could tell that the night was more than just about ten years of Acid Rap. It was about ten years (and then some) of doing it his way with his people to a level of success that he only dreamed of.

Sitting in Barclays Center, as Chance The Rapper concluded the night with performances of other Acid Rap standouts like “Favorite Song” and “Smoke Again,” you’re left to reconsider where the reality lies for Chance. It exists further from his social media perception and closer to the one that existed in the inescapable atmosphere of the arena. One where his fans from around the way and far away gathered to celebrate one of the most unique rappers in this modern era and his decade-old magnum opus. Whether it was Acid Rap classics or his most recent releases, Chance was met with the same excitement from the crowd. His run of shows for Acid Rap is a moment to celebrate his past, but it’s also one to remind us of his present status — the real one — in preparation for his future. Hate him or love him, Chance The Rapper seems ready to continue doing what he does best as he announced his second album Star Line Gallery would arrive in 2024. So as the night concluded, Chance left the crowd with one thing to remember:

“I am Chance The Rapper and I will always be Chance The Rapper.”