Category: Viral

Bo Burnham is an inspiration to YouTubers everywhere: if you’re good enough at making silly comedy videos, someday, maybe, you’ll get to play Larry Bird.

The comedian and actor, who appears in the Best Picture-nominated Promising Young Woman, will reportedly play the Boston Celtics legend in HBO’s upcoming series about the Showtime Lakers. (Has Larry Bird seen Eighth Grade? He — and everyone — should really watch Eighth Grade.) The three-time MVP won three championships with the Celtics, including one against the Lakers. That rivalry forms the premise of the show.

Based on the book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, the show “chronicles the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined its era both on and off the court,” according to Deadline. Burnham joins a stacked roster, including Quincy Isaiah as Magic Johnson, Adrien Brody as Pat Riley, Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach, John C. Reilly as Jerry Buss,Sally Field as Jessie Buss, Jason Clarke as Jerry West, Solomon Hughes as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Gaby Hoffmann as Claire Rothman.

It’s excellent casting, although I can’t help but wonder if HBO reached out to Nick Kroll to play “Larry Legend” first. Maybe his impression was too good.

(Via Deadline)

Following the death of iconic Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, a series of rotating guest hosts have been filling in until the game show staple finds a permanent replacement, which is, obviously, no easy task, given the beloved Trebek’s tenure that’s been a core element of Jeopardy!‘s appeal for decades. While the guest hosting process has gone over relatively smoothly, the situation hit its very first major controversy thanks to the decision to give Dr. Mehmet Oz a two-week stint that began on Monday. Due to his well-documented history of peddling questionable medical “cures,” Oz’s presence has not gone over well with Jeopardy! fans or its former contestants, who feel the TV doctor tarnishes the show’s sterling reputation for valuing “facts and knowledge.”

In an open letter to Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards, over 600 former contestants have signed on to the written notice that details how Dr. Oz is a significant detriment to the show and its audience. Via Medium:

Throughout his nearly two decades on television he has used his authority as a doctor to push harmful ideas onto the American public, in stark contrast with his oath to first do no harm. These ideas include promoting supplements that do nothing, legitimizing gay conversion therapy (which is banned in California, as well as 19 other states), dangerous “cures” for autism, and, most recently, the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. None of these things is backed by any scientific fact and by promoting them he is actively putting his viewers in danger. In fact, his ideas are so dangerous that thousands of his colleagues have petitioned to have him fired from his position at Columbia Medical School. And what kind of message does this send to the LGBTQ+ and autistic contestants and viewers of Jeopardy!?

After championing Jeopardy! for its proud tradition of promoting science and learning, the letter ends with a blunt message on how Dr. Oz goes against everything the show has stood for. “We’ve seen writers and judges frantically cross-reference answers in real time to make sure that the facts are accurate. To then invite Dr. Oz to guest-host is a slap in the face to all involved.”

(Via Medium)

After moving on from Meyers Leonard earlier this month and still hovering around .500 as a team, the Heat traded for stretch forward Nemanja Bjelica, sending out Moe Harkless and young big man Chris Silva in the deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

It’s been a down year for Bjelica so far in Sacramento, as he’s drifted in and out of the rotation with a trade seemingly inevitable, but the 32-year-old Serbian is a career 39 percent three-point shooter and boasts nearly twice as many assists as turnovers in his career. In most postseason matchups, he should be able to give Miami some offensive punch in spurts, especially playing alongside a versatile center like Bam Adebayo.

By sending out Harkless in the deal, Miami is effectively taking a mulligan on their offseason wing signing, signaling a reversal toward the Kelly Olynyk mold of stretch big men as opposed to a player like Harkless, who isn’t much of a shooter. This trade could mean more is on the horizon for Miami however, as they will not treat this season as lost, and will want to bolster the rotation ahead of the postseason.

The Heat are also reportedly among the teams working to acquire Kyle Lowry and have been discussed as a frontrunner for Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge.

Freddie Gibbs has become a borderline rap superstar by sheer force of will, longevity, and his charismatic personality. The latter is mostly displayed through his irreverent social media presence, but soon fans will be able to see it on the big screen. Complex reports that the Gary, Indiana supreme rhyme technician has just wrapped principal photography on his feature film debut, the independently-produced Down With The King.

According to Complex, the film follows Gibbs’ Mercury Maxwell, a rapper who wants to leave hip-hop behind to become… a farmer. After being sent to the rural Berkshires of Massachusetts, Mercury decides to drop his Money Merc persona and announces his retirement. However, his manager isn’t ready to let his client walk away so easily. While those ingredients have all the hallmarks of a comedy — and Gibbs’ certainly has the chops for one — Complex reports the film’s a drama.

Produced by Breaker Studios, written and directed by Diego Ongaro, and co-starring Bob Tarasuk, David Krumholtz, Jamie Neumann, and Sharon Washington, Complex notes that Down With The King will appear at festivals later this year, where the creators hope to pick up a distributor. Gibbs, who wrote and performed original music for the film, “worked intimately together” with Ongaro “to craft Mercury’s character and backstory” according to the director, who wanted to combine two of his seemingly opposing passions.

“Many films that feature the hip-hop community tell underdog ‘success stories,’ whereas Down with the King does the contrary,” he says. “Mercury is at the top of the hip-hop world but desperately seeks a simpler life… It was an absolute thrill working with someone as sharp and multi-talented as Freddie in this collaborative way.”

Freddie Gibbs is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

On Thursday, the Magic finally decided it was time to tear it all down. Orlando has spent the last five years attempting to build a competitive team from the core of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier. However, the team is extremely injured this season and has lost 11 of their last 13 entering the NBA trade deadline. With Gordon requesting a trade, and rumors of trades surrounding the team, the writing was on the wall. A firesale was on the way.

Orlando delivered by trading all three players before 1 p.m. Vucevic went to Chicago, Fournier to Boston, and Gordon to Denver. For many in Orlando, this must have felt chaotic, but for one Magic player, it was just an opportunity to have some fun on the internet. Terrence Ross kept basketball fans entertained as he live-tweeted his responses to the Magic’s deals as they happened.

First Vucevic went and Ross had some emojis in response. He also told a fan that he had a feeling of what was coming next.

Soon after, Fournier was sent off and Ross started to feel the pressure. Could he be next?

As rumors began heating up for an Aaron Gordon deal, Ross started to sweat with concern about what could happen to his teammate.

After Gordon, and Gary Clark, were sent away it became clear to Ross. With most of the Magic core traded or injured he was all that remained.

This is one of the sadder parts of the NBA trade deadline. While it’s exciting to think about what everyone is going to do in a new location it’s also a breakup of a team that has been together for quite some time. Friendships and locker rooms are torn apart for the future. While everyone knows it’s a business, it can still hurt the people who are actually involved. Of course, sometimes the best way to deal with it all is just to laugh.

Ross has been around the NBA long enough to know how it works. You can’t control it so the only thing you can do is laugh, tweet through it, and enjoy the fireworks.

The Toronto Raptors have been pegged as a team to watch during the lead-up to the NBA trade deadline, as both Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell’s names keep popping up as ones to watch. With just over two hours before the 3 p.m. EST deadline, the first of those dominos have fallen.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Powell is the first big name to get moved. Powell is on his way to Portland, while the Trail Blazers are sending promising young wing Gary Trent Jr. and veteran swingman Rodney Hood to the Raptors.

Powell, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, is in the midst of a career-best year, as he’s averaging 19.6 points per game while connecting on 43.9 percent of his attempts from three. He should fit snugly as a high-scoring third option alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, and while his scoring is his calling card, he competes on the defensive end of the floor, something Portland will need with Trent leaving town.

As for the Raptors, Hood has a team option after this season, while Trent is the headliner of the deal. He’s also out of contract at the end of this year, but he will be a restricted free agent. Trent exploded onto the scene for Portland in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble, and this year, he’s averaging 15 points per game and hitting 39.7 percent of his threes.

The Philadelphia 76ers were always going to add a point guard at the trade deadline, but the question was which one. They, along with the Miami Heat, were the two frontrunners for Kyle Lowry as the Raptors were expected to trade their franchise legend to allow him to play on a contender ahead of free agency this summer. However, Toronto’s asking price was reportedly steep, as they pushed for young players and picks back, and as had been the case in the James Harden sweepstakes, Tyrese Maxey was a young player Philly didn’t want to part with.

On Thursday afternoon, the Sixers appeared to bow out of the Lowry sweepstakes by making a trade for George Hill, first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski providing the details of what ended up being a three-team deal with the Knicks.

It doesn’t fully preclude the Sixers from also adding Lowry, as it’s possible Hill comes in as insurance for having to deal Danny Green in such a deal, but it certainly makes it easier for Philly to move on from the pursuit of the hometown star should they not have been comfortable dealing any of their bets young players or assets. Hill hasn’t played much due to a hand injury in the last two months, but should be back and healthy in the near future. With Philly having all eyes on the postseason, their main concern will be working him into the rotation and getting him comfortable by the playoffs, when they will want his shooting and another veteran ball-handling presence.

The Thunder get more draft assets and a big man in Tony Bradley who has played well this season, along with Austin Rivers to give them some point guard help in the immediate while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out with planter fasciitis. The Knicks get a young wing in Ferguson who hasn’t quite found a firm landing spot in the NBA, but will bring them some athleticism as Rivers hadn’t been a factor in their rotation for some time.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

It’s a formula we’ve all seen before; one rapper, one producer, 10 tracks. There’s a reason for this: It works.

The latest example proving this aphorism is To Kill A Sunrise, the concise collaborative project from burgeoning Brooklyn rapper Kota The Friend and veteran Boston producer Statik Selektah. Released just two months removed from Kota’s last project, the quick and dirty Lyrics To Go, Vol. 2, this latest effort makes an ironclad case for the aforementioned recipe with crisp, inventive rhymes over inviting instrumentals that show what traditionalist hip-hop can be at its absolute best.

Over the course of his surprisingly productive five-year career, Kota has proven to be one of the genre’s foremost advocates of the bars-first mentality endemic to his hometown’s musical philosophy throughout the mid-’90s. To put it bluntly, whenever someone shouts out “real hip-hop,” they usually mean rap in the vein of jazz-sampling, puffer jacket-wearing, Timberland boot-stomping, cerebral rappers from the lyrical bloodline of acts like Gang Starr, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, and A Tribe Called Quest.

Kota has this, yes, but he also adds his own unique, plainspoken perspective to the simile-ridden rhyme style of his forebears, leavening their rugged machismo with a vulnerable, confessional, emotionally intelligent bent to his raps. He displayed as much on his breakout 2019 album Foto and on its 2020 follow-up Everything, but whereas on those albums, he displayed that honest tendency over beats that toed the line between modernism and his natural, jazz-rap instincts, on To Kill A Sunrise, he fully indulges the latter, partnering with their perfect foil in Statik Selektah.

For instance on “Hate,” Statik laces Kota with a stripped-down, hand-clap-and-key-stab sample pack over which Kota can “have some fun,” as he says on the song’s introductory instrumental bars. On the song’s opposite, “The Love,” Statik scratches in over a tinkling piano sample, throws hella swing on the drum kit, and channels the spirit of 1991. Kota dives in headfirst, ruminating on intergenerational responsibilities and working at mediocre jobs before attaining his dream of supporting himself through his music.

The combination of Statik’s throwback beats and Kota’s straightfoward, lyrics-focused rhyme style certainly evokes nostalgia for a certain era and place in hip-hop history but they’re not stuck in the past, as so many rhyme-first rap conservatives can be. They don’t thumb their noses at modern trends so much as eschew them entirely; they aren’t here to scold rappers for humming or diss their gold-chain-flexing, trap-praising peers. The endeavor comes across more self-contained, as if to say, “This is us, in our element, doing what we like to do.” In short, it’s a rapper and producer having fun making music, which can sometimes feel rare these days.

Ever since Jay-Z first uttered that fateful phrase “I’m not a rapper,” it can seem as though many folks who do the job are only doing it to get their feet in the door at the places they really want to work, like waitstaff at the local diner who are really actors or web designers or CEOs in casual conversations. Within the past month, I’ve written about no less seven major rap stars securing their first acting roles, while a number of others have jumped into tech or become restauranteurs.

These are all good things! We’ve seen enough rappers go from rags to riches back to rags over the past four decades to understand that rap money doesn’t always last. “LLC Twitter” is quick to remind anyone unfortunate enough to stumble across their condescending messages that you should have multiple streams of income to ensure a comfortable lifestyle and we’ve both praised and criticized Jay-Z for his capitalistic ambitions. Entertainment’s a fickle mistress, so it’s best to make sure there’s a plan B, C, D, E, F, and G for the day the winds change and fans’ taste does too.

But it’s so refreshing to listen to someone make hip-hop because they enjoy making hip-hop. Kota raps about hustling his way out of poverty, yes, but not through socially destructive means. And now that he’s reached his level of comfort, there’s no castigation or roasting of his listeners or taunting of his enemies and haters. Kota raps like the money is assured on tracks like “Live & Direct,” but also secondary to things like fatherhood, community, health, and sharing his wisdom rather than lording it over the plebians who keep him in business.

Nor does he waste time berating anyone for making or enjoying that type of rap. He’s not a snob or an elitist. He’s not above employing a trappish beat himself, as he displayed on prior releases like Everything. But he’s a rapper’s rapper who truly enjoys the craft, working with an established producer who knows how to tap into his strongest impulses. The result is just like the sunrise: Enjoyable to experience, invigorating and easygoing at the same time, and full of promise for a new day.

To Kill A Sunrise Is Out Now via FLTBYS. Get it here.

St. Vincent first announced her return with a vague commercial that teased something titled Daddy’s Home. Shortly thereafter, the musician announced that it was actually the title of her next album, which pulls from ’70s “post-flower child” music. So far, the singer has previewed the project with her towering single “Pay Your Way In Pain.” Now, St. Vincent teases even more new music in a cheeky commercial for Daddy’s Home.

In an infomercial-style preview, St. Vincent runs around a dimly-lit New York City apartment while snippets of unreleased songs play softly in the background. The preview’s voice over reads: “She’s back, in a new role like you’ve never seen her before. Grammy Award-winning artist St. Vincent brings you an album of all new songs. Featuring the new single, ‘Pay Your Way In Pain.’ Nobody expected it, nobody believed it, and nobody could stop it… Daddy’s Home.”

Ahead of the commercial, St. Vincent said she almost made a Tool-sounding album instead of the ’70s-inspired Daddy’s Home. Speaking to Radio.com’s Bryce Segall on his New Arrivals show, the singer said:

“The crazy thing about music is, you can plan and plan and think you’re gonna go one way, and then you start writing and the music just takes you wherever the music takes you. That was certainly the experience with this. I was dead set in my mind that after Masseduction I was just gonna make this like, heavy record. Like just heavy the whole time — like, ‘Hey kids, you like TOOL? Well, you’ll love the St. Vincent record,’ you know? I got sort of down a road with that, but I kept finding that I didn’t have anything to say there. It didn’t feel anything, to go more angular and harder after Masseduction, but where it did feel like something, and felt free and fun and fresh and a lot of other ‘f’ words, was to just go back to the music I’ve listened to more than anything else, which is stuff made in New York from ’71 to ’76 — post flower child, pre-disco, pre-punk — and just sit in that space for a bit. And that’s where the music ended up taking me.”

Watch St. Vincent’s Daddy’s Home teaser above.

Daddy’s Home is out 5/14 via Loma Vista. Pre-order it here.

After weeks of rumors and pretty public negotiations, Aaron Gordon has finally been traded, as the Orlando Magic dealt the seven-year pro to the Denver Nuggets for Gary Harris, rookie RJ Hampton and a first-round pick. Magic swingman Gary Clark is also headed to Denver in the deal.

Gordon has been a mainstay in the NBA rumor mill for years, and this trade finally ends the partnership between he and the Magic. Earlier this week, Gordon reportedly asked the Orlando front office for a trade, and told reporters “there’s been times when I’ve expressed my frustration to management.”

After signing a team-friendly second contract, Gordon has seen his name pop up in trade rumors for years. This year is one of his best, especially on the offensive end, with a career-best 38 percent shooting from deep and a career-high in free throw rate.

Since losing Jerami Grant in free agency, the Nuggets have sorely lacked consistent defensive energy next to MVP candidate Nikola Jokic in the frontcourt, as 35-year-old Paul Millsap bares a smaller load and with free agent signing JaMychal Green playing more of a backup center role.

That led star guard Jamal Murray to publicly say that the Nuggets needed a rim protector earlier this season, and likely also was the impetus behind Denver’s trade for JaVale McGee earlier on deadline day. In Gordon, they get a fierce individual and team defender who should give them an option against the murderer’s row of wing scorers they could face in the Western Conference playoffs, from LeBron James to Kawhi Leonard to Luka Doncic.