Category: Viral

If you haven’t heard, Drake’s a published author now. Drake released a poetry book titled Titles Ruin Everything: A Stream Of Consciousness By Kenza Samir & Aubrey Graham over the weekend after giving fans less than 24 hours notice. Drake also reportedly took out a newspaper ad in the New York Post teasing a companion album for the book.

One person who had no trouble getting his hands on the collection was DJ Khaled, who naturally posted his “unboxing” of the gift from Drake on Instagram. Pulling out the book, accompanied by a personal note, he read several passages to the camera, revealing a Rupi Kaur-esque commitment to minimalism. Drake’s words read like mantras or kōan, with a simple statement on each left page and an answering one on its mirror. Khaled calls them “keys” but seems bemused by the simplicity of the construction, repeatedly cracking, “The man wrote a book!” At one point, he even notes, “He wrote a sentence!”

Khaled wasn’t the only one baffled by Drake’s doings this past weekend. On Sunday, he was awarded the key to Memphis, his second home, leaving some fans frustrated — after all, despite all of Drake’s love for Bluff City, he still largely resides in his hometown, Toronto, when he’s not in Los Angeles, where he also has a home. He also co-signed Toronto’s NBA team’s newest pickup; after Raptors draft pick Gradey Dick gushed about wanting to be friends with Drake, the team’s official ambassador graced the rookie with a follow on Instagram.

A former Tucker Carlson producer is livid at Fox News and airing out his grievances on social media after the conservative news network recently announced that it would be laying off the rest of Carlson’s team. Gregg Re unloaded his thoughts on Twitter where he jumped into the replies of far-right media figures to specifically attack Fox News Executive Vice President of Primetime Programming Meade Cooper.

“Meade Cooper did not simply fire all of Tucker’s old team,” Re tweeted. “It’s important to capture the callousness. First, she let the employees hear about the news of their show’s cancellation from a Fox press release. Then, Meade told the employees to hunt around the Fox website to see if they could maybe find another gig.”

Re continued his rant after being retweeted by right-wing political pundit Jack Posobiec.

“Tune into ‘Fox News Tonight’ for its last two weeks on air,” Re tweeted. “Enjoy watching the work product of nine producers, whom Meade cooper is forcing to work before she fires them. (Under threat of losing their severance). I’m sure it’ll be great content.”

While Re may have a point regarding the “callous” way Fox News fired Carlson’s old team, the right-wing mediasphere has been quick to scoop them up. Re works for Daily Wire where he’s been boosting Matt Walsh’s anti-trans views. Meanwhile, Blake Neff, the former Tucker Carlson writer who was considered too racist for Fox News, has landed a job with Charlie Kirk where he also trumpets Matt Walsh’s anti-trans views.

So, basically, Tucker’s old team will be fine as long as they continue to be the worst.

(Via Mediaite)

James Blake just reignited his fans, but it might not be in the way he intended. The musician took to social media to announce his new single, “Big Hammer,” would be dropping tomorrow. But, thanks to the track’s official cover art, they are demanding something else entirely.

Last year, Blake carved a market for himself in the ambient space due to his sleep aid album, Wind Down. However, fans are now requesting that he crank up the column by releasing a cover of Slipknot’s 2004 song “Duality.” In the artwork, Blake is sporting a full leather face mask with electrical ports and cables.

As random as it may seem, Blake fans have been campaigning for the Slipknot cover since 2020. In the comment section of Blake’s post, called about the metal band reference, excited that after three years of begging that their dreams might come true. One supporter wrote, “This artwork is one step closer to James Blake covering ‘Duality’ by Slipknot.”

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While another added, “We’re finally getting that Duality cover after all.”

Finally, one fan remarked that although the reference to the band was subtle, it was enough to take note of, writing, “Looking Heavy, can’t wait to hear.”

Blake didn’t provide background on the song’s cover, but the photographer Thibaut Grevet did. The creative took to his own Instagram page to write, “This is a special one! James Blake’s BIG HAMMER single cover. This image is opening the chapter of my collaboration with James and Crowns & Owls for his upcoming album. Can’t wait to show what we’ve been working on.”

Big Hammer is out 6/28 via Republic/Polydor Records. Find more information here.

Although Kim Kardashian and Kanye West started divorcing in early 2021, the reality star is still trying to shield their four children from his bad behavior.

During a new interview with Vogue Italia, Kardashian specifically shared that she tries to hide her emotions about it all from the kids.

“If it’s something concerning my kids’ dad and I’m upset, I try not to show as much emotion,” she said. “I have to be ready to explain why I’m upset and it might not be appropriate for them to know. There’s nothing worse than ‘You’ll understand when you’re older.’ I don’t want to be that person.”

“But if I’m upset about other things that they can understand, I absolutely will show emotion and cry,” Kardashian added, pointing out that she does show her feelings to them about other things. “On Christmas morning, I cried when my mom gave me a doll house. My kids didn’t understand why and I explained I had that at my dad’s house as a little girl.”

As the new season of Hulu’s The Kardashians is still unfolding, viewers are simultaneously watching Kim react to West’s erratic behavior that happened last fall. “It’s always just so intense,” she shared on the show. “I just don’t want to engage in a public feud with him.”

There are few scripted shows that premiered before 2000 that are still on TV (or streaming) today. But the ones that have survived are mostly animated, including The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, and now, Futurama.

It seemed like season 10 was going to be it for Fry, Leela, and Bender, after the series was “quiet canceled” by Comedy Central (following Fox moving it around the schedule 700 times before officially axing it), but a decade later, Hulu has revived Futurama for 20 more episodes. You can watch the trailer for the new season above. (It’s officially being billed as season 11, but that’s only if you count the movies as seasons; it’s as confusing as the concept of “wuv.”)

Here’s what to expect:

After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact. The ten all-new episodes of season eleven have something for everyone. New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries – including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler’s litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy’s tadpoles. Meanwhile there’s a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV.

Futurama, which features the voices of Billy West, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, David Herman, and John DiMaggio (following a pay dispute), premieres on Hulu on July 24th.

Corook kicked off this year’s Pride Month with a bang. Their second EP, Serious Person, Part 1, arrived at the top of June, gifting us with six cozy queer pop tracks. Over the course of a 20-minute therapy session, the non-binary singer and instrumentalist homes in on the core parts of themselves — the good and the bad — and finds humor in their insecurities.

Their EP’s title track, “Serious Person,” details their relationship with their girlfriend, fellow musician Olivia Barton. Oftentimes, Corook finds it difficult to express their emotions and to handle rough patches in their relationship and makes this known from the very beginning of the EP.

“I’m not a serious person / When it comes to serious things / I’ll make a fart joke when we’re in a fight / Act like you hate it, but I see you smile,” they sing on the opening verse, over soft piano chords.

Corook can’t actually remember a time they’ve done this, but it’s not something they, or Barton, would put past themselves.

“I’m definitely the kind of person that is trying to lighten the mood at all times,” Corook says. “Especially when it’s hard. And maybe it’s inappropriate.”

They’re especially learning how to handle difficulty now that their career has taken off. Earlier this month, Corook performed headlining sets at Brooklyn, NY’s Baby’s All Right and Los Angeles, CA’s The Echo. This past weekend, Corook performed at Nashville Pride, where they are currently based.

On another standout line in “Serious Person,” Corook alludes to their sensitivity to overstimulation, singing “I don’t want you to cook while I’m watching TV.” But they admit that having Barton as their rock has made it easier to cope with newfound notoriety.

“I think [Olivia and I] are lucky to have each other,” Corook says. “This past year has been really overwhelming, especially in terms of my career, and I’m very much needing to learn in real-time how to take care of myself. Whenever I’m overwhelmed, I know I need to take care of myself. And whether that be cooking a meal at home, or staying home and playing video games at night, instead of going out. I try to listen to my body and listen to what’s going on, and act accordingly.”

Part of remaining grounded for Corook means keeping a small team of collaborators, most of which are close friends of theirs. One of the EP’s standout tracks, “Tiny Little T*tties,’ — a gut-punching encapsulation of the nuanced feelings of body dysmorphia — came together while Corook was on a trip to LA.

While in an Airbnb with two friends — Lauren Aquilina and Caroline Pennell — Corook had received a swimsuit that Barton, who was set to arrive at the Airbnb a week later, had ordered for herself, to be delivered to the house. The swimsuit was purchased from a brand called Youswim and was branded as one-size-fits-all gear.

“My friend Lauren — who has a very large chest — picked up the bathing suit, and she was like, ‘This is one size fits all?’ Like there’s no way,’” Corook recalls. “And I was like ‘You should try it on.’ And she tried it on, and she was like ‘Yeah, this doesn’t hold anything in,’ And that’s whenever she was just like, ‘I want to be a tiny girl, tiny little t*tties.’ And I was like, ‘That’s a song. Like, I know that you’re joking, but that’s a song.’ And I grabbed my guitar and then we made it into what it is.”

While Corook often turns to their close friends for inspiration, very rarely do they use the same approach when writing songs. Sometimes they have a beat playing on a loop in their head before they even pick up a guitar; sometimes, they’ll open up Ableton and lay down a percussion loop, and begin playing acoustic guitar over the track; sometimes, they’ll write a line down in their phone notes, and expand upon it when they get to the piano or guitar.

Similar to real life, Corook finds the beauty in the rough parts of their music, particularly via special plug-ins in their DAWs and MIDIs. Some of their favorites include “sketch cassette,” “baby audio,” and “Crystalline.”

“Really, I like anything that makes something sound kinda bad,” says Corook. “I kind of love it. Sketch cassette and RC 20 will make the sound wobble, make it sound old, and make it sound like you recorded it badly. That, I feel, adds so much character.”

And their unique craft has certainly paid off. Their viral hit, “If I Were A Fish,” which they wrote in the course of 10 minutes after receiving hate comments, has prompted several TikToks of musical circles, artists adding background vocals, and artists genre-bending the song.

But they’ve found that their other songs have resonated even more with members of the LGBTQ+ community, and they are happy to be the queer artist they needed when they were younger.

“I remember the first time I heard ‘Baby’ by Justin Bieber, and I thought it was a girl singing, and my stomach dropped,” says Corook. “I was like, “Oh my God, it’s finally a girl singing about a girl.’ And it wasn’t a girl, but I just remember that feeling of like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s somebody that is like me, and I don’t have to be scared.’ And I’m glad that there are kids nowadays that are able to hear [LGBTQ+ artists].”

Corook is currently in the process of writing and recording their next EP, Serious Person, Part 2, which they say has been a rather “healing” process. They are also set to embark on a North American tour beginning in September.

While on tour, Corook is looking forward to seeing the fans who have resonated with their catchy-yet-poignant queer bops.

“I am just so looking forward to having rooms full of people that are like me,” Corook says. “I’ve been an opening act for the last year-and-a-half, and while being welcomed into those communities has been so awesome, I just had my first couple of headline shows. And it is so cool to be in a room full of people that understand my entire project, and understand the entire scope of what Corook is, rather than just ‘It’s Okay’ or ‘If I Were A Fish.’ The fans of this music are so sensitive and kind, and that is just a wonderful room to be in.”

Corook is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music artist.

Jay Rock hasn’t released a solo single since his 2018 album Redemption, but he’s back to put on for the “Eastside” with a rowdy new hometown anthem. Produced by frequent TDE collaborator Kal Banx, “Eastside” is full of allusions to Jay Rock’s rough upbringing in Watts, California, from blaring sirens to lyrical references to the shootouts his place of origin is all-too-well known for.

Although it has been a while since we last heard a song where Jay Rock is the lead artist, he’s infrequently popped up on tracks from labelmates and local peers over the past couple of years. Last summer, he appeared with fellow TDE artist Reason on “Is What It Is,” while in 2020, he lent an assist to Eastside neighbor Problem on “Nothin’” with Jack Harlow and fellow California native Anderson .Paak for a remix of “Lockdown” featuring Dreamville rapper JID and Chicago indie star Noname.

Also in 2020, Rock noted that his next album is “80 percent finished,” although a long delay before release can be typical with his label. Although Top Dawg artists don’t often release with the frequency of other indie acts, the wait is always worth it; Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, Kendrick Lamar, and SZA are all among the acts on the label that had a five-year gap between releases and all of their new albums were well-received last year.

Listen to “Eastside” above.

Melania Trump has been attempting to keep a low profile in regards to the Manhattan DA indicting Donald Trump for his hush money payments to Stormy Daniels for their alleged affair. The former First Lady has reportedly kept to a secluded area of Mar-a-Lago and ignoring her husband unless required to be seen together for “socializing duties.” In short, Melania wants nothing to do with the Stormy Daniels situation, but she might not have that option anymore.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former advisor to the First Lady, has confirmed an Associated Press report that prosecutors are seeking Melania’s emails in regards to the hush money case. Wolkoff also revealed that the First Lady used an encrypted messaging system, which is sure to raise a few eyeballs.

“Melania Trump used several email addresses, texts, and Signal to communicate with me and others while working in the White House and prosecutors want to see them,” Wolkoff tweeted along with a screenshot of the AP article.

On top of going after his wife’s emails, Donald Trump is looking at some pretty bad timing for the hush money trial. The case will reportedly go before a judge in March 2024, right as the Republican primary season is in full swing. Of course, that was a concern before he was indicted on federal charges for mishandling classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. That trial is now happening first and could be extremely damaging.

Trump is also facing potential charges for mishandling top secret intel in New Jersey, his involvement in the January 6 attacks, and allegedly interfering with election officials in Georgia. However, Trump remains a frontrunner in the Republican race as Ron DeSantis stumbles into one blunder after another.

(Via Raw Story)

The Atlanta Hawks finally traded John Collins after years of rumors around the high-flying forward, but didn’t get much in return for him. Utah absorbed most of Collins’ deal into cap space, sending only Rudy Gay and a future second round pick back for him.

It was a salary dump for the Hawks, putting them back under the luxury tax line as they get set for the offseason to begin in earnest, but they are still expected to be very active making more trades. They struck out on moving up to the 10th pick in last week’s Draft, and there have been rumors tying them to the pursuit of Pascal Siakam (thus far with no real traction). That hasn’t dissuaded them from continuing to shop around, with Adrian Wojnarowski and Jake Fischer bringing updates on Tuesday that the Hawks have basically made all of their veterans available outside of Trae Young — while looking to do another round of contract extensions for Dejounte Murray and Onyeka Okongwu.

That means De’Andre Hunter, Clint Capela, and Bogdan Bogdanovic are all on the table, with all three in the midst of longterm deals. Hunter, in particular, has found his way into a number of rumors, with Fischer reporting the Hawks had discussions with Indiana and Detroit prior to the Draft and could rekindle those talks as they look to move off of Hunter’s 4-year, $90 million extension.

The Hawks have also been active in conversations about trade opportunities for De’Andre Hunter … We’ll see if any of Atlanta’s other loose threads of trade talks, like the Hawks’ draft week negotiations with the Pistons and Pacers regarding Hunter, can regain momentum.

As for what the Hawks could get back for Hunter, it’s hard to quite figure out what his value is on a $90 million deal that’s just kicking in this year. Atlanta was hoping to see Hunter take a leap at some point, but he has more or less remained the same player he’s been since entering the league. The Hawks won’t want a Hunter deal to look like another salary dump, but it’s pretty clear there are financial pressures at play in shopping him as actively as they have been.

The mandate, per Woj, is for the Hawks to make roster improvements, but there’s not exactly a clear path to doing so with a lack of draft assets to move after sending so many to San Antonio a year ago for Murray. Still, expect the Hawks to keep making deals to try and shuffle the deck around Young, and hope that Quin Snyder can bring out a different level in the team they assemble for him this summer.

The Armed is returning with a brand new album announcement for their next record, Perfect Saviors. Welcoming fans into the new era, the band also shared the lead single, “Sport Of Form,” which is a collab with Julien Baker.

The track details the competitive human nature, with a rollercoaster of an instrumental. In the music video, Iggy Pop also makes an appearance.

“Too much information has made us dumb and confused,” vocalist Tony Wolski shared about the album in a statement. “Too many ways to connect have inadvertently led to isolation. And too much expectation has forced everyone to become a celebrity. Predictable primal dangers have given way to newer social ones. And the result is a world that is confounding and terrifying—but ultimately still beautiful. We hope this record is exactly all of that, too.”

Starting in August, The Armed will join Queens Of The Stone Age on their The End Is Nero Tour. Then, in October, they will head out on a headlining tour of their own — with the dates for this listed below. Find additional information here.

Check out The Armed’s “Sport Of Form” (feat. Julien Baker) above. Continue scrolling for the Perfect Saviors cover art and tracklist.

1. “Sport Of Measure”
2. “FKA World”
3. “Clone”
4. “Modern Vanity”
5. “Everything’s Glitter”
6. “Burned Mind”
7. “Sport Of Form”
8. “Vatican Under Construction”
9. “Liar 2”
10. “In Heaven”
11. “Public Grieving”

10/19 — Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
10/21 — San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
10/23 — Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
10/24 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos
11/16 — Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
11/18 — Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage
12/15 — Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
12/16 — Chicago, IL @ Metro

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