The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from J Hus, King Von, Lil Tjay, and more.

New releases this week came from Blxst, who teamed up with Remble for the gospel-influenced “Child Of God,” JT of City Girls, who addressed the critique she has “No Bars,” and Quavo, whose “Turn Yo Clic Up” with Future gave his fellow ATLien the opportunity to restart his rivalry with NFL quarterback Russell Wilson.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending July 14, 2023.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Bree Carter — Bree Carter

The burgeoning talent out of South Central, Los Angeles oozes charisma and confidence, with a brash delivery reminiscent of My Krazy Life-era YG. I can see her growing a sturdy fan base locally, especially with assistance on her debut tape from the likes of hometown hero RJMrLA.

J Hus — Beautiful And Brutal Yard

Sure, British artist J Hus drew plenty of attention ahead of the release of his latest project with his Drake collaboration “Who Told You,” but on this 19-track project, he proves more than capable of holding that attention — and paying it off. The tropical vibes combine with straightforward raps, reminding listeners that the diaspora is strong.

King Von — Grandson

One thing you have to admire about King Von’s estate — they know how to keep his posthumous releases true to Von’s defiant spirit. A big part of that is that they rarely reach beyond the city limits of his hometown for collaborations; G Herbo, Polo G, Tink, and Von’s label boss Lil Durk constitute the bulk, while fellow Midwesterners Tee Grizzley and 42 Dugg drop in. The outsiders — Moneybagg Yo, Hotboii, and burgeoning Brooklyn rapper BreezyLYN — all fit the tone, too.

Lil Tjay — 222

Lil Tjay drops his first album since being shot last year; the experience hasn’t dulled his edge. Tjay sounds more introspective here, which isn’t a bad thing at all. He still manages to puff his chest on tracks like “Bla Bla” with Fivio Foreign even so.

Wynne — Some Like It Hot

After a slow build that included some racy cover art and a timely lane shift, Portland rapper Wynne releases her latest project. Where prior EPs were aimed at proving her mic skills — which are considerable — here, she flaunts some sex appeal to show that she can serve it up, however you like.

Singles/Videos

BIA — “Raised Me”

Borrowing a familiar sample from Petey Pablo’s 2001 breakout hit “Raise Up,” BIA issues a never-ending stream of witty punchlines. It’s a departure that she has just enough charm to make work.

DSTRCT — “Rich Bi$h”

The 10 Summers rapper makes effective use of a beat from his label boss Mustard to puff his chest a bit, showing off his lady like a trophy. Hey, if they ain’t lookin’…

Hit-Boy & Big Hit — “Watch Out For The Riders” Feat. Jay Worthy

The father-son duo teams up with Compton rapper Jay Worthy on a soulful storytelling track that paints a gritty picture of their West Coast environs.

Shady Blu — “No Use” Feat. 03 Greedo

It’s just a West Coast weekend, I guess. Shady Blu demonstrates her versatility with another South LA genre-blender in the recently released 03 Greedo.

Valee & Harry Fraud — “Watermelon Automobile” Feat. Saba & Mavi

With their joint project a week away from its release date, Valee & Harry Fraud drop another single showcasing their unexpected chemistry, pulling fellow Chicagoan Saba and Charlotte rapper Mavi into their orbit.

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

While conversations about Barbie might generally revolve around unrealistic beauty standards and misogynist ideals, the factual legacy of the iconic toy is far more nuanced and surprisingly feminist. After all, Barbie propelled young girls around the world out of simply honing their maternal skills with baby dolls and helped them imagine themselves in roles beyond motherhood.

This is part of why the highly anticipated “Barbie” movie is causing such excitement. It not only promises a fun ride full of dance numbers, crazy outfits and pink galore, but also a story that reflects the true promise of feminism: an equilateral, inclusive world where femininity is equally celebrated. Basically, the best of Barbie, if you ask me.

In fact, the film’s feminist layers were the main topic for a recent ABC News In-depth interview with Greta Gerwig, the film’s director, and Margot Robbie, who plays the titular character, and it’s giving fans a whole new level of appreciation for the upcoming comedy.

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“It most certainly is a feminist film,” said Gerwig. ”But it’s feminist in a way that includes everyone; it’s a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ version of it.”

“I think some people hear the word ‘feminist’ and think that means it doesn’t mean men…And I’m like, anyone who believes that men and women should be equal is feminist,” Robbie seconded, noting that the power between the Barbies and the Kens is certainly not equal at the beginning of the film.

“If you look at ‘Barbie Land’ from the beginning…the Barbies are on top and the Kens are kinda disregarded…that’s not equal. So, whatever the opposite of misogynist is actually what Barbie is. Toward the end when they balance things out..then it might be feminist,” she joked.

Then Gerwig painted a picture she saw time and time again with her friends’ daughters:

“Little girls playing dress-up where they put on everything—the tutu and the tiara and the boa, and the gloves, and the bag and the cowboy boots and they have sparkles…so many ideas—and then there’s this moment when they just…start wanting to disappear.”

This is certainly a feeling many women can relate to, and it’s a feeling that only gets exacerbated in a society where women are often pitted against one another. Gerwig wanted “Barbie” to challenge this notion in the movie by showing “that ability for a woman to look at another woman and say ‘you’re good enough.’”

It doesn’t hurt that Gerwig and Robbie live this example in the interview by delighting in lifting each other up. Gerwig applauds Robbie for her take-charge attitude, and Robbie commends Gerwig for having an infectious enthusiasm and intelligence that doesn’t make others feel alienated. All in all, it’s just so inspiring to watch a couple of female Hollywood powerhouses hold each other in such high regard, all while talking about a movie that does the same thing.

After seeing this discussion, folks were even more excited about the thought Gerwig and Robbie have put into the film. You can feel the love in the comments below:

“The more I hear about the script entices me to actually see the movie.”

“I cannot wait to see this and already want them to direct/ produce another project together again. They flow off of each other so well. I love this!!”

“I wish they conducted interviews with world leaders and politicians in this manner.”

“This movie will tell girls they can do anything.”

“I have not (obviously) seen this yet and just from this interview I need another Margot/ Greta film. They seem superb together.”

“The absolute number one reason why I am most excited to see this movie is because of these two women. They are each so impressively talented and mindblowingly intelligent and passionate about their craft that there’s no way it will be anything less than spectacular. “

Thankfully, fans only have to wait a little longer before seeing what the creators have come up with. “Barbie” premieres July 21.

The music of Queen has a profound visceral effect on everyone. Few pieces of art can cause complete strangers to put aside their differences and come together in song, but by golly, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is one of them. It would be cheesy if it weren’t so absolutely beautiful.

This pertains even to non-English-speaking countries, it appears. Recently, thousands of Harry Styles concertgoers in Warsaw, Poland, began cheering as those iconic beginning piano notes penetrated the air.

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It wasn’t long before the entire stadium was singing along to that beloved tune and acing every single lyric. As one person commented on YouTube, even though most people in Warsaw don’t speak English, “they sing Queen.”

The passionate impromptu performance serves as a reminder of how special both Queen and the late Freddie Mercury remain today.

“No other band will ever come close to Queen. They were lightning in a bottle and Freddie was a whale in a teardrop. Once people keep singing his words, FM will live on forever,” another YouTube viewer wrote.

Indeed, seeing an entire stadium come alive with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” you can’t help but feel Mercury’s soul return to the mortal plane, as if we’ve all been transported back to that historic Live Aid concert in 1985 when he had the entirety of Wembley Stadium wrapped around his finger for 21 glorious minutes.

Watch below, and try not to sing along. Scratch that—sing your heart out.

A new form of social anxiety is coming to public consciousness, and it affects younger generations more often than older generations. The problem is called “menu anxiety,” and although it isn’t an official diagnosis, it affects countless people.

A survey of 2,000 adults conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress found younger generations were far more likely to have anxiety while ordering a meal off a menu—41% of Gen Z and millennials (aged 18–43), compared with only 15% of Gen X and baby boomers (aged 44–77).

There are many different ways in which menu anxiety manifests itself. People may have difficulty deciding what to order, especially in a place with an extensive menu. They also may be overly concerned they may have made the wrong choice.

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The social aspect can also be challenging for some people because they may feel they’re being judged for their order by others at the table or that they are under undue pressure to make their choice in a timely manner.

Add to that, some people may be concerned about the environmental impact of their order and how long it will take to cook.

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“I would imagine that people who are already experiencing anxiety would be more prone to experiencing menu anxiety,” licensed mental health counselor Natasha D’Arcangelo tells Lifehacker. “People who struggle with performance anxiety or perfectionism might also be more prone to experiencing it. It could also be a sign that your general stress levels are increased if what used to feel like a simple decision is now paralyzing you with anxiety or fear.”

Popular TikTok creator and comedian Elyse Myers, who’s been open about her struggles with mental health issues like ADHD, anxiety and depression, explained how she manages her menu anxiety.

To help herself feel comfortable in a restaurant, Myers pours over the menu hours before the meal and practices the name of what she wants to order.

@elysemyers

I’m a blast 🚀 #coffeetalk #theadhdway #menuanxiety

Myers’ approach to overcoming her menu anxiety closely mirrors advice provided by mental health professionals. An article co-authored by Natalia S. David, PsyD, recommends that people look over the menu ahead of time and write it down on paper so they don’t forget.

She also suggests that people plan a backup order in case the menu item isn’t available at the restaurant. This could prevent some unnecessary anxiety that could confound an already stressful situation.

Dr. David adds that when you practice the order, do so calmly.

“Practice feeling relaxed while you order,” Dr. David writes. “If you force your brain to think positively while you practice, it will be may be easier to do so during the real thing. If you feel yourself getting anxious as you practice, try some deep breathing.”

The study shows that even though menu anxiety is a seldom-discussed topic, it is an issue many people have. When popular social media personalities such as Myers talk about these issues publicly, they help to de-stigmatize them so people feel more comfortable discussing the issue openly. When people feel more comfortable being open about their challenges at the dinner table, then they are probably more likely to have an enjoyable meal.

The WNBA All-Star Game will take place on Saturday night in Las Vegas. But before that happens, the league took over Michelob Ultra Arena on Friday to hold its Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest.

Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty competed in both events, and while the first one did not go the way she wanted, she was able to bounce back in a big way in the second. Ionescu teamed up with Liberty teammate Courtney Vandersloot in the Skills Challenge, with the pair advancing to the finals to take on the duo of Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces — the teams from the Dallas Wings and the Atlanta Dream were eliminated. Unfortunately for fans in the Big Apple, the 46-second run by Plum and Gray in the finals meant the hometown fans were happy.

And then, the 3-Point Contest rolled around, which let Ionescu put on a show. She posted the second-best score in the first round, with her 26 points coming up a little short behind Sami Whitcomb of the Seattle Storm’s 28. Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings rounded things out with 21 points to move on to the finals.

As the lowest score in the first round, Ogunbowale went first in the finals, where she struggled and only scored 11 points. Then, Ionescu stepped up and put forth a historic final round, registering a ridiculous 37 points.

In all, Ionescu made all but two shots in the final round, and while Whitcomb put up a very respectable 24 points in her final outing, it was nowhere near enough.

Ben Platt is a nepo baby, but for the love of Barbara Streisand, please don’t say that to his face.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the Dear Evan Hansen star shared the inspiration behind his new mockumentary comedy Theater Camp. The indie he stars in with friend and co-writer Molly Gordon (The Bear) follows a group of children’s theater directors trying to salvage their final show of the summer. It looks hilarious, mostly because it doesn’t mind poking fun at the grown-ups who take this whole show business thing a bit too seriously. But it sounds like Platt doesn’t have skin quite as thick as his character in the film.

During the Rolling Stone chat, Platt was asked for his thoughts on the nepo baby conversation. Platt’s father is famed producer Marc Platt, the man partly responsible for Legally Blonde, Wicked, and a host of other beloved movies and Broadway shows. Naturally, having an industry heavyweight as a parent would’ve opened up doors for Platt, something he could have gracefully acknowledged and then moved on from when questioned about the connection. Instead, this happened:

After side-stepping the question from Rolling Stone writer EJ Dickson, Platt went on to answer a few more questions about his own Jewish summer camp experiences before his publicist intervened once more, ending his interview 20 minutes sooner than planned. The actor’s sensitivity over the whole nepo baby label has, naturally, prompted Twitter users to drag him for having, among other things, an “inflated sense of ego.”

(Via Rolling Stone)

Drake, can you do something for me? Get rid of your uncomfortable Drake-isms for me. The “Search & Rescue” rapper’s forthcoming appearance on TikTok influencer Bobbi Althoff’s The Really Good podcast will be awkward and cringey, as the teaser clip suggests, but it’s certainly worth a watch.

Following the satirical interview format made popular by creators such as Funny Marco, the pair engage in one of the most uncomfortable conversations we’ll see this week.

The clip opens with Althoff confessing, “I don’t know any other questions.” After a short exchange, the duo seemingly begins to flirt, and they get more comfortable under the sheets of the bed they share.

However, the funniest part of the clip, the influencer asks the musician, “Do you think it’s funny when your reference your own song? People could use that word, and it doesn’t mean your song.”

Drake replied in-between laughter, “I just thought that you were ending the interview on a note where you were like, ‘Haha, I do know your songs.’ You were just asking for a flight.”

“No, I don’t know your songs,” Althoff admits, much to Drake’s dismay.

Althoff hasn’t revealed when the full interview will be uploaded, but her followers have promised to tune in.

Tom Cruise loves to run, especially in the Mission: Impossible movies. Here he is running from a sandstorm. Here is running before shattering his ankle. Here he is running for 10 minutes. Cruise loves running so much, supposedly no one else is allowed to run on-screen with him.

The running form for the #1 fan of movies and popcorn has been called “exceptional,” but he does have room for improvement.

“He tends to really tense up when he’s running,” Ned Trim, the head coach of New York’s Mile High Run Club, told the Wall Street Journal. “You look at top-level sprinters, and it’s all about staying relaxed. The more relaxed your body is, the more you’re not getting in the way of the function of your muscles.”

Another coach, Ben Rosario, the executive director of the Hoka Northern Arizona Elite team, think Cruise’s hands are too rigid when he’s trying to run out of his skin. “One of the things we teach young runners is to act like they’re carrying a potato chip between their thumb and their forefinger and they can’t let it break. You’re just barely touching your thumb to your forefinger,” he said.

Cruise will now spend the next five months training 10 hours a day to become the world’s fastest runner. Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him.

(Via the Wall Street Journal)

For the first time since 1960, when Eisenhower was President of the United States and Ronald Reagan was president of the Screen Actors Guild, Hollywood’s writers and actors are both on strike.

The Writers Guild of America, which represents 11,500 screenwriters, has been on strike since the beginning of May. And on July 13, 2023, SAG-AFTRA—the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists representing approximately 160,000 film and television performers and media professionals—joined them, effectively shutting down Hollywood.

Actress and SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, best known for her lead role in “The Nanny,” announced the strike with a powerful speech calling out studio executives. The major Hollywood writer and performer unions have been in talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over the way streaming services and Artificial Intelligence are impacting compensation for the creators on the ground, and clearly, it’s not been going well.

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After explaining the gravity of the decision to strike, knowing “the eyes of the world and particularly the eyes of labor are upon us,” Drescher explained the reasoning behind the move.

“We are being victimized by a very greedy entity,” she said. “I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right, when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment.”

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“You cannot keep being dwindled and marginalized and disrespected and dishonored,” she continued. “The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, AI. This is a moment of history that is a moment of truth. If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines and big business, who cares more about Wall Street than you and your family.”

Drescher made it clear that this strike was not just about actors, but about all workers, and that moneyed interests must acknowledge and adjust to a swiftly changing labor landscape to ensure that the people who do the work are compensated fairly.

“We are fortunate enough to be in a country right now that happens to be labor-friendly. And yet, we were facing opposition that was so labor-unfriendly, so tone-deaf to what we are saying. You cannot change the business model as much as it has changed and not expect the contract to change, too. We’re not going to keep doing incremental changes on a contract that no longer honors what is happening right now with this business model that was foisted upon us. What are we doing—moving around furniture on the Titanic? It’s crazy.”

People may think of SAG-AFTRA members and picture the high-profile actors making millions off of movies, but those well-paid performers are only a small fraction of the working actors in Hollywood. The average SAG-AFTRA member earns well below the national average salary and most working actors have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Some of that is simply the unpredictable nature of the business, but when studio income largely stays at the top and doesn’t trickle down to the people who create the shows and films that bring in the money, there’s room for negotiation. And in the whole new world of streaming services and AI technology, it appears those negotations will have to shift as dramatically as the entertainment industry landscape itself if they hope to get it moving again.

We’ve all done it. If there is one common human experience, it’s getting the lyrics wrong in a song. I refuse to believe that this isn’t a universal thing that transpires in all countries, cultures and languages, and if you tell me otherwise I’ll have no other choice than to believe you’re lying. But there’s something innocently hilarious about people learning that they’ve been singing the wrong words to popular songs. Someone in a Reddit community decided to ask the question that clearly a lot of people have been waiting to be asked: “What’s a song lyric that you completely misheard for a while?”

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The results were gold, obviously, because lots of lyrics are misheard and sung incorrectly until it’s emblazoned into the part of your brain that’s responsible for holding song lyrics. I remember hanging out with a friend and we were blasting “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis but when the part came when they sing “so we put our hands up like the ceiling can’t hold us,” my friend belted “so we put our hands up like the silly can holders.” When I told her those weren’t the words she insisted I was mishearing them, so I asked, “what the heck is a silly can holder?!”

Turns out my friend had no idea what a silly can holder was and we had a good laugh. The person on Reddit that asked people to share their misheard lyrics was likely just as entertained. Like when one user’s misheard lyrics gave Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” a very dark turn, because they heard and sang “ask her if she wants to stay alive” instead of “ask her if she wants to stay a while.” Ma’am-sir, we’re going to need to see what’s in your trunk.

One person thought Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” said “Starbucks lovers” instead of “long list of ex-lovers” and honestly, it’s pumpkin spice season, so Starbucks lovers kind of works. A couple of cozy sweaters, laptops and white cups with a weird mermaid that seems to be holding two tails in her hands could make a great rom-com opening.

Some unfortunate person thought Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much” lyrics were “I can’t believe you kiss your cock goodnight.” Now that’s either NSFW or someone has a really close relationship with their rooster. Either way, those lyrics are unequivocally wrong because the actual words are, “I can’t believe you kiss your car goodnight.” Car! Sweet mother of pearl, I hope they weren’t singing that in public.

Who remembers Dido? “White Flag” was definitely a bop in the early 2000s but this person thought the singer said “I will poke my eyes out and surrender.” Let’s hope they do in fact still have their eyes because the actual lyrics are, “And I won’t put my hands up and surrender,” which obviously makes much sense—bonus points for getting to keep your eyeballs.

Some of these misheard lyrics are just hilarious and also confusing because I can’t quite figure out how this person heard “I got shoes, they’re made of plywood.” The words are, and as far as I know have always been “I’ve got chills, they’re multiplying” in the Grease song “You’re the One That I Want.”

But this last one has me wondering who is Jason and why does he get his own waterfall? This user thought TLC sang “don’t go Jason waterfalls” in their hit song “Waterfalls.” I mean, we probably shouldn’t be chasing waterfalls like the lyrics actually say, but Jason waterfalls might be a pretty cool dude. We’ll never know though.

If you’ve never known the hilarity and embarrassment of mishearing lyrics, consider yourself lucky. But I’m highly suspicious that you’re making that up. No one’s that perfect, people aren’t tacos. Now go forth and belt out “pour some shook-up ramen” while the rest of the crowd demands they be doused with sugar.

This article originally appeared on 09.24.22