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DJ Casper, the creative mastermind behind the international dance hit “Cha Cha Slide,” has died at the age of 58. The Chicago music pioneer, real name Willie Perry Jr., was one of the most prominent figures in the city’s line dance community. According to the local ABC 7 station, Perry’s wife Kim confirmed yesterday (August 7) that the musician’s cause of date was tied to his longtime battle with cancer.

Perry sat down with the station in May to discuss his health condition. “They diagnosed me in 2016 with two kinds of cancer, which is renal and Neuroendocrine, which is kidney and liver,” said Perry.

He added, “They went in to try to do surgery, and they found out the kidney was connected to the main artery, so they decided not to do it and just treat it.”

Perry remained optimistic about his chances at recovery. He even offered words of encouragement for others fighting the disease, saying, “Anybody that’s going through cancer know that you have cancer, and cancer does not have you. So, keep on doing the ‘Cha Cha Slide.’”

Before Chicago birthed drill music and its innovators such as Lil Durk, Chief Keef, and G Herbo, the Windy City had long since had a musical legacy in dance genres, including house music.

Between June and August 2023, only a handful comedies (not comedy-dramas or rom-coms, but straight up comedies) were or will be released into theaters, including No Hard Feelings, Joy Ride, and Bottoms. Twenty years ago, that list was much longer. Movie studios are hesitant to give a coveted blockbuster season slot to a comedy, which usually don’t do well overseas.

Adam Devine pins the blame for the death of big-screen comedies on superhero movies.

“You watch comedies nowadays and you’re like, this is not a f*cking comedy. Where are the jokes? Where are the bits?” The Righteous Gemstones and Workaholics star said on an episode of the This Past Weekend podcast. “There’s still good [comedy] shows and stuff, but movie comedy… it’s hard.”

Devine’s theory? “I think Marvel ruined it. I feel like superhero movies ruined comedies because you go to the theater and you expect to watch something that cost $200 million to make, and comedy movies aren’t that. So you’re like, ‘Why would I spend the same amount of money to go watch a little comedy in the theater if I can spend that and see something that is worth $200 million?’”

As someone who’s heard that (flawed) rationale from friends, he’s not wrong. Something like No Hard Feelings doesn’t have the flash of, well, The Flash, but watching a comedy in a packed theater sure beats laughing at Jennifer Lawrence’s nude fight scene at home by yourself.

Devine took another shot at Marvel, saying, “And they still make those movies kind of funny, like, ‘Oh my god, is that raccoon talking? This is hilarious!’ Which it is, but it’s not like a real comedy.” You can listen to the podcast below.

(Via EW)

Rita Ora and Taika Waititi have been married for a little over a year now, and on their anniversary, they spoke with Vogue about how the ceremony went down.

The two first met at a 2018 barbecue that Waititi hosted at his Los Angeles home. They started dating in 2021, when they were both filming in Australia. Then, when they were on a Palm Springs vacation in the summer of 2022, Ora popped the question.

“She proposed to me, and I said yes instantly,” Waititi noted.

They planned an impromptu wedding in Los Angeles for August 4, despite reports indicating otherwise.

“It wasn’t in London or in France like everyone reported,” Waititi said. “It was in LA with a small group of friends.”

Ora was amused by the misinformation, though, saying, “It’s actually been quite entertaining for us to see the different stories people made up and all the while getting to keep it to ourselves. And, I love that we now get to share what really happened — and to do it on our one-year anniversary, no less!”

As for the ceremony, it was intimate. Waititi explained, “Just having close friends and not having it too big. We didn’t have table settings or any of the stressful things that go along with weddings, and it was nice to just have it super simple. My daughters were there, and they made everything really fun and easy: I think just because we didn’t have the pressure of having caterers and all of these things, you know, people turning up late, and all of the different moving parts.”

Read more about the wedding here.

A big year is on the horizon for Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. After the team’s Western Conference Semifinal exit to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, the Dubs went out and turned Jordan Poole into Chris Paul, with the thought being that the team relies a little too much on Curry. That, of course, isn’t necessarily a bad idea, as Curry is still one of the best basketball players on the planet, but as Steve Kerr explained, getting Paul allows them to be a little less one-dimensional on offense.

As for Curry, he’s coming off of a year where he was his usual brilliant self, but only appeared in 56 regular season games due to injuries. Understandably, he’s taken some time away from the game this offseason by doing things like making a hole-in-one and winning a celebrity golf tournament, and now, showing that he’s a Paramore fan.

The band had a show at the Chase Center on Monday night, and throughout this tour, they’ve brought folks on stage to sing the bridge of their 2007 classic, “Misery Business.” With the band in the Bay Area, Curry was the pick, so he went up on stage and knocked this out of the park.

I am going to be honest with all of you: I did not expect that I would wake up this morning to a video of Wardell Stephen Curry II joining Hayley Williams on stage to sing “Misery Business.” (In fairness, I have never, ever expected to wake up to a video of this.) Steph, if you are reading this, you are formally invited to come onto Dime to talk about this.

Tory Lanez’s sentencing in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting trial was set to be delivered yesterday (August 7), but it was ultimately postponed to today. One interesting note from yesterday, though, was the fact that Iggy Azalea was one of many people who wrote a letter on Lanez’ behalf. Now, she has clarified what’s going on with that.

An X (aka Twitter) user wrote, “I’m trying to find an issue with this. What is the big deal with Iggy showing support to her friend? Anyone who followed the case would know there was inconclusiveness and lies throughout the whole thing. Even Megan tried to protect Tory, so what is the big deal with Iggy comforting her friend with a PRIVATE letter? @MeghannCuniff stated there were over 70+ letters sent, yet she only name-drops Iggy? Weird. Iggy sending a letter doesn’t mean she condones what Tory allegedly did. It is simply her being there for her friend; many of you would do the same.”

To that, Azalea responded:

“For the record:

1. I have not been in touch with tory for months, I have no reason to be, but I do wish him well.

2. I don’t ‘support’ anyone.
the whole thing is full of oddities. My letter never mentioned anything in regard to what happened that night.

3. I was told this was for a judge only, yet it’s being discussed in public? I never intended to publicly comment.

4. Iam not in support of throwing away ANY ones life if we can give reasonable punishments that are rehabilitative instead.
I support prison reform. Period.

5. I was asked to write about my genuine experience and the type of punishment I think he deserves: I did.

It’s not really that interesting but I understand why it’s being sensationalized. . . [shrugging emoji]

See ya next week to discuss pizza toppings I suppose. Lol.”

Another user responded, “people really get on this app and say anything for a few clicks you shouldn’t even have to address this.” Azalea replied, “I really hate that this is todays discourse online because it’s not really an explosive revelation. Yes: he should be held accountable. No: the charges don’t warrant 5plus in prison. Most agree with that sentiment because it’s a reasonable take. This is not news worthy. [shrugging emoji].”

Find the tweets below.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Karol G made both charting and streaming history with the release of her album, Mañana Será Bonito back in February. The Latin music star told our very own contributing writer Lucas Villa that the project served as an emotional outlet to guide her out of a dark time in her life. Now, she’s ready to breath new life into the project with the release of Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) on Friday (August 11).

Yesterday (August 7), Karol G took to her Instagram Stories to reveal the upcoming project’s full tracklist. On the first installment, Karol G tapped Shakira, Maldy, Ovy, Romeo Santos, and more for guest verses across the album. In the screenshot from the clip captured by Pop Crave, Karol G revealed that on Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) Peso Pluma, Kali Uchis, Dei V, and Young Miko will make featured appearances. Although her Barbie movie track, “Watati,” with Aldo Ranks didn’t make the cut there are a told of ten tracks for fans to dive into.

Continue below to view the full tracklist.

1. “Bichota G”
2. “Oki Doki”
3. “Mi Ex Tenía Razón”
4. “S91”
5. “Qlona” feat. Peso Pluma
6. “Una Noche en Medellin RMX”
7. “Me Tengo Que Ir” feat. Kali Uchis
8. “Gatita Gangster” feat. Dei V
9. “Dispo” feat. Young Miko
10. “Provenza (Tiesto RMX)”

Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) is out 8/11 on Universal Music Latino. Find more information here.

Hardcore punk’s self-proclaimed world’s greatest band, The Armed, is back with a new genre-bending single off their forthcoming album, Perfect Saviors. The group warmed fans’ palates with their tracks “Sport Of Form” and “Everything’s Glitter.” With the release of their latest record, “Liar 2,” The Armed’s experimental sound and blunt storytelling, fans have a well-rounded understanding of what the project will entail.

The dance-heavy record is a blunt examination of the age-old saying ignorance is bliss. In “Liar 2,” The Armed attempt to uncover what extreme lengths people are willing to travel to for a slice of happiness. The stanza, “Please talk so I don’t just give up / Keep talking I don’t give a f*ck / Lemme hear those lies / Snake, pray tell / Are we close to hell? / As I long for the light / I see the water splash / Oh my god / It’s a reflection / Am I where I will die,” paints the grim picture.

On the other hand, the official video starring the ever-so-elusive band member Dan Greene and Crystal Robinson takes a much more lively approach. The visual, which frontman Tony Wolski directed, is a chaotic clusterf*ck of moving parts so beautiful that you won’t want to look away. Greene takes to the streets to dance his pain away as clueless pedestrians try to wrap their minds around what is happening. By the time Greene finds solace in what has happened, he’s already had a friend join him in his impromptu choreography.

As the co-producer of the group’s forthcoming album and one of the vocalists, Tony Wolski detailed the track’s creative direction in a note, saying, “We tend to be drawn to juxtaposition and trying to make disparate things fit in new ways to discover some novel aesthetic resonance or emotional response. Some push and pull. This is a dancey, happy track about being in the deepest pits of despair and giving way to lies and delusion as your only means of survival. It is a chocolate cake full of broken glass—the sonics of the track itself, seemingly in denial of the lyrical content.”

Watch the full video for “Liar 2” above.

Perfect Saviors is out on 8/25 via Sargent House. Find more information here.

MJ Lenderman won the hearts of indie rock lovers with the release of his 2022 album Boat Songs. His last single, “Rudolph,” released in July, kept fans happy. On Monday, August 7, he made them even happier by releasing a reimagined version of his 2021 song “Knockin,” originally off of the EP of the same name.

Although the record is inspired by heartbreak, the only thing sad about “Knockin” is that Lenderman didn’t decide to reissue it sooner. The tender ballad incorporates indie and folk elements into one captivating track.

In the song, Lenderman leans into his vulnerability making both Bob Dylan and John Daly proud as he sings, “Loneliness is simple / Not much else is / Her love for me is real / She gives what she has to give / She gave me wings / And I caught blight / And I think I might be / Knock, knock, knock, knock / Knock, knock, knockin on / Heaven’s door tonight.”

In a statement, Lenderman opened up about the inspiration behind the song, writing, “I was spending a lot of time watching John Daly videos and came across a rendition he does of [Bob] Dylan’s ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.’ Daly’s version includes an extra verse about golfing. My ‘Knockin’ became a staple of the MJ Lenderman & The Wind live set, and it felt like a good idea to re-record it professionally.”

Listen to the full track above.

Today’s Republicans are first amendment absolutists, which is why they’re the ones banning (and burning!) books. Ron DeSantis’ Florida has been the most aggressive, fighting a “war on woke” so extreme that students are about to receive whitewashed lessons about American slavery. If they wanted to read Romeo and Juliet, they’re out of luck, too, as some schools are so afraid of running afoul of DeSantis’ draconian laws that they’re having to gut most of the Bard.

As per Tampa Bay Times (as caught by Raw Story), English teachers in the state’s west-central Hillborough County schools are preparing their lesson plans for the upcoming new school year by largely excluding the work of William Shakespeare. Instead of reading some of his plays, as has long been custom in American high school, students will only be handed excerpts. Why? Because teachers are no longer allowed to teach works that are sexual in nature.

“There’s some raunchiness in Shakespeare,” one reading teacher told the publication. “Because that’s what sold tickets during his time.”

Instead of reading Hamlet or Macbeth or The Merchant of Venice or (especially) the aforementioned teen favorite Romeo and Juliet, they’ll have to do so on their own time, without the guide of a teacher who could help them tease out the complexities of Shakespeare’s iambic pentameter. If an educator did make them read the relatively (but not really) saucy Twelfth Night, they could be punished by DeSantis’ goons.

Technically this is a case of teachers mostly removing Shakespeare from their curricula, not DeSantis’ team, who have laid out vague rules that could lead to real punishment. In other words teachers are taking the safe route, albeit knowing that will deprive students of having their minds broadened.

“I think the rest of the nation — no, the world, is laughing us,” said reading teacher explained. “Taking Shakespeare in its entirety out because the relationship between Romeo and Juliet is somehow exploiting minors is just absurd.”

And so instead of reading Romeo and Juliet in class alongside knowledgeable teachers, students will have to make do with the flashy movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, and a song by the great Butthole Surfers.

(Via Tampa Bay Times and Raw Story)

On July 26, Travis Scott’s Egyptian fans were upset to learn that Live Nation pulled the plug on a concert scheduled to take place at the Pyramids Of Giza due to logistical issues. However, that didn’t stop Scott from putting on his Circus Maximus concert on Monday, August 7, in Rome, Italy. Ahead of his Utopia Tour, Scott treated supporters to a taste of what’s to come from the upcoming stadium run.

During the elaborate show, Scott reunited with his longtime friend and frequent collaborator Kanye West to perform their song, “Praise God,” featuring Baby Keem. In a video clip posted by XXL, the pair feed off of each other energy as they rap their respective parts of the track, which was featured on West’s 2021 album Donda.

The surprise appearance from West shocked fans as it marked his first live performance since the string of anti-Semitic remarks he made late last year. Scott took a moment to acknowledge West’s impact on his work, seeming to confirm fans’ theory that his latest album, Utopia, was inspired by West’s 2013 album Yeezus. “There is no Utopia without Kanye West,” he told the crowd. “There is no Travis Scott without Kanye West. There is no Rome without Kanye West. Make some noise for Ye.”.

Scott’s commentary could also be a subtle response to fellow rapper Asap Rocky’s recent diss at Rolling Loud Miami on July 23. In a song snippet, Rocky claimed someone stole his flow, which people online believed was a reference to Scott.