Alicia Keys was slated to drop her seventh album, ALICIA, earlier this year but the coronavirus pandemic forced her to delay its release. Prior to the delay, she shared a trio of singles, including “Show Me Love” with Miguel. Despite the delay, Alicia didn’t struggle to stay in the limelight, as fans were able to watch her on Verzuz, the NFL’s kickoff event, and more. Earlier this week, nearly six months after the album’s original release March 20th date, Alicia Keys announced that the album will arrive this Friday, September 18. On Wednesday, the singer returned to deliver its tracklist.
Over 15 tracks, Alicia Keys calls on Tierra Whack, Khalid, Snoh Aalegra, Jill Scott, and more to file guest spots. The announcement comes days after she delivered her latest single, “Love Looks Better,” which premiered at the NFL’s kickoff event last Thursday. Eight songs total off the album are currently available. Among those, “So Done” and “Perfect Way To Die” appear as singles, while “Gramercy Park” can only be heard through her NPR Tiny Desk set from back in June.
RCA
01. “Truth Without Love”
02. “Time Machine”
03. “Authors of Forever”
04. “Wasted Energy” Feat. Diamond Platnumz
05. “Underdog”
06. “3 Hour Drive” Feat. Sampha
07. “Me x 7” Feat. Tierra Whack
08. “Show Me Love” Feat. Miguel
09. “So Done” Feat. Khalid
10. “Gramercy Park”
11. “Love Looks Better”
12. “You Save Me” Feat. Snoh Aalegra
13. “Jill Scott” Feat. Jill Scott
14. “Perfect Way To Die”
15. “Good Job”
The Sacramento Kings cleaned house in their front office after the team fell short of the postseason once again, as Vlade Divac stepped down as general manager. For a team that seems on the cusp of being a playoff contender, their next hire is an important one.
As is the case with so many smaller market teams, the biggest job of the basketball operations department is nailing the draft, and the final nail in the coffin of Divac’s tenure was selecting Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic, the latter of whom earned a first team All-NBA spot in his sophomore season. The next Kings GM or head of basketball operations or whatever they choose for the title will have to bring in talent to elevate this team to the next level, and given Sacramento isn’t a major free agent destination, that means nailing the draft and making savvy trades and signings.
It appears the Kings have decided on who that will be, as Rockets assistant GM Monte McNair will reportedly take over as the head of basketball operations, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Shams Charania — although, somewhat confusingly, one said head of basketball ops while the other said GM and, honestly, I don’t know if that’s a meaningful difference or not.
The Sacramento Kings are hiring Houston Rockets assistant GM Monte McNair as new head of basketball operations, sources tell me and @sam_amick.
Whatever the case, McNair is now tasked with the monumental challenge of building a perennial playoff contender in Sacramento, something they haven’t been able to do there in nearly two decades. There have been shimmers of hope, but organizational dysfunction and missteps have always derailed positive steps forward. This year offered further inclination that this is a team on the precipice of being good, but needs something more. McNair’s job will be finding and bringing that something to Sacramento, a job much easier said than done.
Maybe before the events of 2020, you were taking your toilet paper for granted. But chances are, you aren’t anymore. But aside from the shortages earlier in the year, there are larger problems with traditional TP. Specifically, it’s pretty bad for the environment. That said, thanks to a company called Reel, it doesn’t have to be. That’s because their toilet paper is made from bamboo stalks and designed with environmental sustainability in mind.
If you’ve had any experience with environmentally friendly toilet paper in the past, you might be tempted to stop reading. But contrary to the prevailing stereotypes about eco-conscious TP, Reel is renowned for its quality and comfort — so much so that the brand has sold more than a million rolls of the stuff and counting. And it’s done so without contributing to the monstrous devastation of forests that’s associated with the traditional toilet paper industry.
Every roll of Reel toilet paper is made from 100-percent bamboo, and 0 trees. But that’s not where the brand’s environmental consciousness ends. It even extends to the packaging, which is plastic-free, right down to the tape. No dead trees, no environment-choking plastic, no inks, no dyes, and none of the infamous synthetic compound bisphenol A. Best of all, if you use it, there’s no TP-related guilt about the damage your daily bathroom habits might bring to the planet.
Why is using bamboo to make toilet paper better than using trees? For starters, it’s the fastest-growing plant in existence, and can grow as much as three feet in just 24 hours. It’s harvested once a year and never needs replanting, making it an essentially infinite resource compared to trees, while also using up 30-percent less water. And as you’ll feel for yourself once you give Reel a try, bamboo paper is much softer than other papers made from recycled paper or wood fiber, while also retaining bamboo’s natural tensile strength, which is said to be even stronger than some types of steel.
Reel even has ply-counters covered, too. If you were worried that bamboo toilet paper doesn’t give you the thickness and quality you’re accustomed to in TP, think again, because each role is generally proportioned with three ply for extra softness. In other words: you’re not having to sacrifice comfort for the good of the planet, at least not as far as your toilet paper is concerned.
And Reel’s environmental friendliness isn’t the only good reason to make the switch. The brand also cuts off a slice of their profits for the funding of sanitation projects in developing nations, so you’re helping that important cause with each roll you buy (in addition to helping reduce deforestation and pollution).
Each 24-roll box of Reel premium bamboo toilet paper costs $29.99, but if you’re paranoid about running out, they also offer a subscription service that sends a new box to your door automatically every four weeks, eight weeks, or 12 weeks, depending on how often you usually buy. Customers have also reported that each roll of Reel lasts longer than regular toilet paper since it gets the job done with fewer sheets — another point in favor of bamboo paper..
Your toilet paper doesn’t have to kill trees or choke the environment with bulky plastic packaging. There is a better way. To find out more, check out Reel at its official site, and say hello to a new era of environmentally friendly toilet paper that’s also comfortable, durable, and a pleasure to have around.
*Upworthy may earn a portion of sales revenue from purchases made through affiliate links on our site.
Growing your own organic herbs, vegetables, and fruits is a great way to eat healthier and, at the same time, do something good for the environment. Unfortunately, a lot of people assume they can’t grow a garden because they don’t have enough space, time, or know-how. But that’s not actually the case. Or at least, it’s not any more. Thanks to an amazing high tech gadget called the Click & Grow Smart Gardens, these days anyone can grow their own organic produce with the touch of a button, no matter where they live.
What exactly is the Smart Garden? Click & Grow calls it the Keurig of plants. And that’s actually a pretty great description.
The Click & Grow Smart Garden is a fully automated gardening system that lets anybody grow herbs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers year round, in any environment, with absolutely no effort or horticultural knowledge. Like a Keurig coffee maker, all you have to do is insert a pod, fill the tank with water, and press the button. Technology takes care of the rest.
Click & Grow has over 50 different pre-seeded 100-percent biodegradable plant pods to choose from, including tomatoes, peppers, arugula, green leaf lettuce, basil, chives, cilantro, petunias, pansies, lavender, and so much more. You can also buy “blank” smart soil pods and use your own seeds to create your own custom plant pods. The possibilities are almost endless.
You don’t have to know anything about gardening to use the Click & Grow Smart Garden. However, if you’d like to learn, the Click & Grow companion app can make you a plant expert. Simply check in with the app daily and it will explain exactly what’s happening during each stage of the growing cycle.
Biodome Sprouting: lids cover the seed pods during the initial growing phase, creating a greenhouse effect that induces faster sprouting.
Grow Lights: professional grade LED grow lights with enhanced light spectra bring about faster germination. These lights turn on and off automatically to mimic the natural light cycle, making sure plants get the exact amount and type of light they need to thrive.
Automatic watering: sensors detect moisture levels and automatically water your plants when needed, with each reservoir tank refill lasting about one month.
Smart Soil: instead of regular soil, Smart Garden seed pods use a proprietary nano material created by Click & Grow. This material keeps soil pH balanced, automatically releases nutrients in sync with the plant life cycle, and contains micro oxygen pockets to give plants ample breathing room and nutrients when the smart soil is wet.
All this tech wouldn’t be very appealing if it cost an arm and a leg to run. Luckily, the Click & Grow Smart Garden is incredibly efficient. It uses 95-percent less water than traditional agriculture, while producing faster growing cycles without toxic pesticides or fertilizers. Meanwhile, the Smart Garden’s efficient LED grow lights cost roughly $5 to $15 per year to operate. That’s probably less than you’d spend on gas going back and forth to the nursery to get supplies for a traditional backyard garden.
Of course, not every prospective indoor gardener has the same needs. Some people just want a minimalist countertop unit to grow their favorite herbs. Others want a full-blown indoor farm. That’s why Click & Grow created several different Smart Garden models with variable grow capacities.
As the name suggests, the Smart Garden 3 is capable of growing three plants at a time. Measuring just 12 inches wide and 5 inches deep, with a max height of 19 inches, this model fits almost anywhere. That makes it perfect for anyone with extremely limited space, or who isn’t quite ready for a bigger indoor garden.
At just $99.95, the Smart Garden 3 is the most affordable of Click & Grow’s automated gardening systems. It’s available in four different colors and comes with the companion app as well as a complementary set of three basil plant pods.
For those who live by the motto “go big or go home” there’s the Smart Garden 27. Though, in this case, “big” is a relative term. Consisting of three Smart Garden 9 units plus a stylish pine plant stand, the Smart Garden 27 is capable of growing a whopping 27 plants at a time. However, it barely takes up any room. The entire system has a footprint of 26 inches by 10 inches, and it stands just 47 inches tall. So it’s roughly the size of a small bookcase.
The Smart Garden 27 is certainly a more significant investment than the Smart Garden 3. However, if your household consumes a lot of fresh organic product, it won’t take long for the Smart Garden 27 to start paying for itself. It’s available in three different colors and comes with the companion app as well as a complementary set of nine basil plant pods, nine lettuce plant pods, and nine tomato plant pods.
Eating local and organic helps you reduce your carbon footprint and cut back on the amount of harmful chemicals that wind up in our watershed. And that used to be pretty expensive. But thanks to the Click & Grow Smart Garden, we can all grow affordable organic produce right in our own homes with just the touch of a button.
Disney+ isn’t even a year old yet and it already has an Emmy. Though the big show isn’t till Sunday, the awards body has been handing out tons of smaller trophies in the week before, mostly for technical awards and ones, semi-ironically, not deemed worthy of prime time television, as part of their “Creative Arts Emmys.” One of those awards is Outstanding Special Visual Effects, which wound up going to the streamer’s biggest break-out thus far: The Mandalorian.
It wasn’t the last: The Star Wars program, about a Boba Fett-like bounty hunter played by Pedro Pascal, is up for 11 other Creative Arts Emmys, on top of its Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. Among the awards it’s already won are Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour), Outstanding Sound Mixing For a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation and Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour).
Mind you, the show’s own breakout star, Baby Yoda, is only partially a visual effect. Instead he’s part CGI and part puppet. It was originally planned to be 100% the former until supporting player Werner Herzog, who plays the sinister one known as “The Client,” literally called them “cowards” for not going with an old-fashioned puppet. Luckily there were still plenty of other excuses for F/X that wouldn’t incur the wrath of the director of Fitzcarraldo.
It’s been almost three weeks since we lost Chadwick Boseman, who had kept his battles with colon cancer a secret from all but family and friends. His passing prompted untold tributes, from colleagues and fans alike, and it’s a sign of the impact he made that we’re still getting stories about his life and career. The latest comes from one of his many MCU coworkers: Samuel L. Jackson, who revealed the two had long talked about collaborating on a non-Marvel project.
Jackson was on The Tamron Hall Show when talk inevitably wound its way to the Black Panther star, who only ever got to appear in the last two Avengers outings together. “I was trying to remember the last time I’d actually seen Chadwick,” Jackson said. “And I was talking to Zoe, our daughter about it and it was at the Captain Marvel premiere. We walked and we started talking about another project that I had hoped that we were gonna work on.”
He continued:
“He was like, ‘I’m sorry, y’all, I’m not going to be there, but I wish we were gonna work together.’ We were talking about it, we had planned it for a while and it was, you know, it’s gut-wrenching, you know, to lose someone that’s such an important part of the culture.”
Jackson also talked about Boseman’s legacy. “We all hope when we work that people will remember things that we will do. But he imprinted society in such a way, impacted especially the Black culture and giving kids a hero that they could aspire to,” Jackson said. “To lose him, I don’t even know if I could tell my kid that. It’s devastating.”
Amid the nationwide protests that followed the death of George Floyd earlier this summer, players around the league started ramping up their involvement in social causes, a trend that carried all the way to recent boycott in Orlando, during which teams put pressure on the league and its owners to use their money and leverage to enact change.
LeBron James has been one of the most active and outspoken supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, most notably spearheading a voting rights initiative called More Than A Vote that is designed to educate people in poor and minority communities about voter suppression tactics and provide more opportunities to have their voice heard and their vote counted.
The league itself joined that cause as part of their new social justice campaign, pledging to transform team-owned arenas into voting sites for the upcoming presidential election in November. Now, Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation has joined forces with More Than A Vote to do the same with concert venues around the country.
The company will announce Wednesday that Live Nation venues in Los Angeles (the Wiltern and Hollywood Palladium), Philadelphia (the Fillmore), Atlanta (Buckhead Theatre) and Austin (Emo’s) are confirmed to serve as voting sites. Venues continue to be vetted in other markets.
“One of the things we kept hearing, because the pandemic is going on, was that a lot of smaller (polling places) would not be made available for voting,” said Tom See, chief operating officer of Live Nation’s U.S. venue division. “We said: ‘Wait a second, we’ve got 100-plus large locations across the country sitting empty right now. Why not offer them up as places for people to vote?’ That was the impetus — to solve a need.”
Live Nation has said it hopes this signals to other venue owners around the country that they can re-purpose their sites for the election as well. In addition, the company is offering employees paid time off to work at these voting stations on election day.
Because of the pandemic, and because of nationwide voter suppression tactics, safe and easy access to voting sites is restricted in many poor communities. Live Nation and More Than A Vote have launched a tremendous campaign that will help bring some fairness and validity back to the democratic process.
After mostly staying quiet since the release earlier this year of his latest project, HIStory, Lost Pages, YFN Lucci is now back in the news after a calamitous event on a recent music video shoot. According to TMZ, Lucci was present during a shoot for an unknown song — it’s still not known if it was one of his — when he was handed a firearm as part of the video. The Atlanta-born rapper was apparently unaware that the firearm was loaded with real bullets, rather than blanks, which was unfortunate as he accidentally fired off a live round.
Fortunately, no one on set was injured, but the gunshot left a hole in the studio floor. DJ Skeme later shared footage of the incident with Lucci on Twitter, with the caption, “Somebody teach ya boy Lucci some gun safety.”
This is not the first time YFN Lucci has dealt with a firearm issue on the set of a music video. Back in May 2019, a teenager was reportedly injured after 21 gunshots were fired on at the set. The kid’s thumb was grazed but it remains unknown if he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.
YFN Lucci is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Now that we’re far from Labor Day and the only thing standing between now and Halloween is, well, nothing, things are finally starting to pick up in the world of sneakers and apparel. This week brings two new Yeezys, a link-up between Converse and Brixton-designer Samuel Ross’ A-Cold-Wall, and a new sneaker brand makes its SNX DLX debut. On the apparel end, we have season-appropriate collections from Supreme, Teddy Fresh, and Palace, which have all settled into collections that (finally) don’t include any summer basics, unless of course, you consider shorts summer clothes and not pandemic-era workwear.
Here are the week’s best sneaker and apparel releases, but before diving in, remember that we’re almost at year’s end, so if you’ve been playing it safe waiting until brands start unloading their best products — that moment is now!
Adidas YEEZY BOOST 380 Pepper/Pepper RF
Yeezy Supply
Kanye West is at his most endearing when he is making weird as hell alien shoes instead of the hundreds of other things he gets up to in a single week. This week, Ye will drop two versions of Yeezy Supply’s weirdest silhouette the 380 in reflective and non-reflective iterations.
The new colorway, Pepper — which makes us question whether Kanye has ever actually seen pepper — features a tan and beige upper and sits atop a smokey grey BOOST midsole.
The Adidas YEEZY Boost 380 is set to drop on September 18th in the Pepper iteration, and September 19th for the reflective addition. The sneakers will retail for $230 and $250 respectively. Pick up a pair at the Adidas online store or through Yeezy Supply.
A-Cold-Wall x Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Lugged/ERX
Converse
When A-Cold-Wall’s Samuel Ross linked up for a collaboration with Converse, he didn’t simply slap his label name on an already classic silhouette, he tried to reimagine a classic.
“One of my earliest memories of Converse is owning a pair of navy All-Stars at age 14,” said Ross in a press release on the collaboration, “I was traveling to the Caribbean a lot and took those shoes on numerous hikes and across mountain trails… the experience of my childhood affected this idea of changing the All-Star into something that is more hard-wearing.”
The result is the Chuck Taylor All Star Lugged — a visibly utilitarian iteration of the Chuck Taylor that boasts tougher construction, increased foot stability, and water-resistant mudguards — it’s a Chuck Taylor for the trail! Ross also gave the ERX a refresh, adding textured suede, debossed detailing, and a rugged earthy colorway.
The A-Cold-Wall x Converse collection dropped at the A-Cold-Wall webstore on September 14th and will receive a wider release at the Converse webstore on Septeber 17th. The Chuck Taylors retail for $140 and the ERX retails for $160.
ConverseConverse
Cariuma CATIBA Skate Pro
Cariuma
Making their SNX DLX debut, Brazil-based label Cariuma’s CATIBA Skate Pro is a performance-based skate shoe that is sustainably produced. Developed in partnership with pro skaters like Steve Berra, the CATIBA Skate Pro was built to weather the thrashing of street skating and is made from premium natural materials like raw rubber for a slip-resistant sole, organic cotton triple stitched for extra durability, premium responsibly sourced suede, and a Mamona oil cork-based insole that provides better shock absorption.
With an eye toward sustainability, we’re loving this balance of sustainability and performance that Cariuma has going for them in the CATIBA Skate Pro.
The Cariuma Skate Pro is out now for a retail price of $89. Pick up a pair at the Cariuma webstore.
Cariuma
Nike Dunk High Spartan Green
Nike
We’re not sure if we’re just burned out in a year that has been packed with must-own Nike Dunk Lows, but this pair of Spartan Green high top Dunks is speaking to us this week. Inspired in part by the Michigan State Spartans, this colorway features a full-grain leather upper with a mesh tongue and classic vintage-inspired tooling, resulting in a super clean eye-catching pair of one of Nike’s greatest silhouettes.
The Nike Dunk High Spartan Greens are set to drop on September 18th for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app, the shoes drop at 7:00 AM.
Nike
Fragment Design x Nike Air Jordan 3
Nike
Designed by Fragment label head Hiroshi Fujiwara, this iteration of the Air Jordan 3 features a smoothed out Orca-colored upper, offering a flatter take on the usual Jordan 3 design. Other changes include a printed SKU on the midsole and Fragment branding on the heel overlayed by a translucent Jumpman logo.
It’s a minimalist take on a classic and it really works to show the perfection that is the Jordan 3 silhouette, one of Tinker Hatfield’s finest.
The Fragment Design x Nike Air Jordan 3 is set to drop on September 17th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app.
NikeNike
Supreme x Yohji Yamamoto Fall/Winter 2020 Collection
Supreme is killing it so far this fall season and this collaborative collection with legendary Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto is one of Supreme’s cooler link-ups this year after some high profile collaborations with Levi, Nike, and the other usual suspects.
The collection consists of season staples like down jackets, parkas, hoodies, and crewnecks but features a few surprises like the wool suit or the leatherwork jacket, with a few pieces featuring spray-painted graphics courtesy of Sancheeto, imagery from Peter Saville, and art by Yuuka Asakura.
This is the sort of high-art collaboration that made Supreme cool in the first place, so we’re happy to see them close out the year with some callbacks to their roots.
The Supreme x Yohji Yamamoto FW2020 collection is set to drop on September 17th. Shop the looks at the Supreme online store.
Teddy Fresh September Collection
Teddy Fresh is delivering a new collection of autumn essentials this Thursday, including the sketchbook-inspired “Meadows Tee,” featuring drawings by label designer Hila Klein. Rounding out the collection is a teddy-lined jacket, shorts, and a moody turquoise and black striped t-shirt.
The Teddy Fresh September Collection is set to drop at 10 am PST on Thursday, September 17th. Shop the looks at the Teddy Fresh Webstore.
Palace x Happy Mondays Fall 2020 Capsule
Palace
This week, Palace will debut a Madchester Baggy-inspired capsule collection made in collaboration with late ’80s legends The Happy Mondays. Does anyone reading this article even know what Madchester is? For those not in the know, imagine a super British mix of funk music, house music, and ‘60s psychedelia, and you’ve got Madchester! If that sounds unconvincing, just give The Stone Roses “Fools Gold” a listen.
A link-up between Palace and Happy Mondays makes sense, as the former’s aesthetic is almost entirely influenced by early ’90s UK and skate culture — looks influenced by bands like The Happy Mondays. The collection consists of button-up-shirts, graphic tees, all-over-print Harrington Jackets, and of course, bucket hats. Because nothing says “UK rave” like a bucket hat.
The Palace x Happy Mondays Fall 2020 capsule collection is set to drop as part of Palace’s Week 7 drop on September 18th. Shop the looks at the Palace webstore.
As he continues work on his upcoming sixth album, Drake has lost one of his early affiliates. Dolla Bill, a longtime member of Drake’s label and OVO collective, recently passed away from causes that are currently unknown. He took a moment to memorialize Dolla Bill, sharing a photo and a memoriam on Instagram.
“Known you for so many years and since day one you came around with a smile and positive words for me and your main priority was ALWAYS your family and the guys,” Drake wrote alongside a photo of him and Dolla Bill. “You will be missed dearly brother RIP DOLLA BILL.” Drake also shared a picture of Dolla Bill and his son on his Instagram story with the message, “RIP a real one Dolla Bill.”
Another OVO affiliate, Chubbs, also honored Dolla Bill. “I’m gonna miss you brother. Your loyalty is unmatched I can never repay you for giving me a way out when nobody else wanted to,” Chubbs wrote in an Instagram post that used the same picture Drake shared to his Instagram story. “I took that and had enough bread to go see Drizzy when the opportunity came. I owe you so much. Your son is my son!! I hate we can’t grow old together. I can write for days but you know what I’m saying. I love you bro.”
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ALICIA Out this Friday 9/18
