Category: Viral

Adam McKay’s asteroid comedy Don’t Look Up already had a considerable amount of star power when Jennifer Lawrence joined the Netflix Original back in February, but now the cast is out of this world. (Hope you like space puns.)

In a new tweet, Netflix rightfully shows off the absolutely stacked cast for the new comedy from Oscar winner McKay, and it is quite the list. Just check out the roster that will be joining Lawrence: Leonardo DiCaprio, Rob Morgan, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Himesh Patel, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, and yes, that’s Friends star Matthew Perry down there along with two dudes named Timothée Chalamet and Jonah Hill. Maybe you’ve heard of them.

You can check the star-studded cast of Don’t Look Up below:

According to Variety, the Netflix comedy “follows two low-level astronomers who embark on media tour to warn mankind of an approaching asteroid that will destroy planet Earth.” But even before his film was fully loaded with top stars, McKay was already ecstatic about getting a chance to work with Lawrence.

“I’m so thrilled to make this movie with Jen Lawrence,” McKay said. “She’s what folks in the 17th century used to call ‘a dynamite talent.’ And the fact that Netflix sees this movie as a worldwide comedy sets the bar high for me and my team in an exciting and motivating way.”

The film was originally set to begin filming back in April, but that obviously didn’t occur as the pandemic scuttled productions left and right. However, IndieWire reports that the coronavirus delay “opened the door” for the impressive ensemble cast, particularly DiCaprio, who was eager to join the project but couldn’t due to a scheduling conflict with Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. I guess you can say, the stars aligned.

(Via Netflix)

The Miami Heat’s run to the NBA Finals, where they ultimately fell to the now-champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games, was fueled by a handful of things. There was, of course, the singular brilliance of Jimmy Butler, who admirably battled every time he was presented with a challenge and put forth two of the best single-game NBA Finals performances we’ve seen before ultimately running out of gas in the team’s deciding defeat. Their role players, like Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, gave invaluable contributions in major moments. When the team needed something from bench players like Andre Iguodala and Kelly Olynyk, more often than not, helped more than they hurt.

In the Finals, however, two of the major players that helped get Miami to the Finals and elevated them from a really good team to a championship-caliber team were not themselves. Throughout the postseason, Goran Dragic looked like the player who made an All-NBA team earlier in his career, while Bam Adebayo made a leap into stardom, looking like a two-way menace and the kind of player who is capable of being an irreplaceable piece of a championship-winning team somewhere down the line.

Due to injuries, neither player was able to reach that level of excellence against the Lakers. In a statement that I hope you do not find controversial, I would like to declare the following about the inarguable last sentence: that stinks.

Adebayo and Dragic are a pair of guys whose impact on the Heat, when they are at their best, cannot be replaced. Adebayo’s ability to impact games on both ends of the floor is marvelous. He is a relentless interior scorer, a tireless rebounder, and someone whose ability to handle the ball and make plays on the offensive end of the floor doesn’t seem like it should be possible for a 23-year-old big man whose ceiling still seems like it could be a ways away. Then, you get to what he does on the other end of the floor, where he is the lynchpin of Miami’s frenetic defense and the rare center who is capable of getting switched onto guards and holding his own just as easily as he’s able to clean up mistakes made by his perimeter players by erasing or at least impacting shot attempts at the rim.

The game I kept coming back to as I thought about Adebayo’s postseason was his Game 6 performance against the Boston Celtics. Despite the fact that he picked up some kind of knock during Game 5, he was easily the best player on the floor in a game that featured multiple All-Stars on both sides of the action. He scored 32 points on 11-for-15 shooting, made 10 of his 11 attempts from the free throw line, hauled in 14 rebounds, and doled out five assists. Defensively, Adebayo was the primary defender for spells against many of Boston’s best players, and no one scored more than four points against him, according to NBA.com.

He is such a smart, instinctive player, but during Game 1 of the Finals, Adebayo suffered what was eventually diagnosed as a neck strain, missed the next two games, and didn’t quite look like himself when he returned to the floor. While Miami did get a good game out of him in Game 6 — 25 points, 10 boards, five assists, two blocks – much of that came in the second half (specifically his 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists in the fourth quarter) when things were done and dusted.

It’s not hard to look back on this series and wonder how different things are if Adebayo plays. The Lakers got a ton of shots from within 10 feet, and when they didn’t go in, their offensive rebounding numbers were breathtaking. While guys like Olynyk and Meyers Leonard battled admirably at the 5, the drop-off from what they can do on both ends of the floor and what Adebayo can do at his best is stark. His ability to navigate the two-man game was taken off the table, too, both during the games he missed and when he returned and didn’t look like himself. He was also the most logical person to defend Anthony Davis, and without him, the team’s defensive versatility suffered — the Davis-LeBron James two-man game becomes a bit tricker to pull off when it’s the best version of Adebayo and one of Butler/Jae Crowder instead of just those two, or one of them and Leonard/Olynyk.

And of course, there is losing the playmaking Adebayo brings at his best, something that was magnified by Miami’s other huge loss. Before even getting to what he brought on the court, Dragic has long been a good player on teams that could never quite make it to the promised land. Prior to this year, he had made the conference finals once as a member of the Phoenix Suns back in 2010. He’d make the playoffs twice in the decade since then before the Heat got in this year, bowing out in the conference semis in 2016 and the first round a year later. As is the case whenever a veteran who has had a long career makes it to the Finals, there’s something really cool about a guy getting over the hump for the first time.

Fifteen minutes into his first Finals game, Dragic suffered a foot injury which later was revealed to be a plantar fasciitis injury. In the time it takes to throw breakfast together, Dragic’s aspirations of contributing in the NBA Finals were taken for him. While he went through warm-ups before Games 2-5, he ultimately just was not able to play. Dragic eventually returned to the series in Game 6, giving Miami 19 minutes off the bench.

Miami’s balance on offense was thrown off without Dragic on the floor. Butler taking over the lion’s share of ball-handling duties isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but taking Dragic off the floor meant more on-ball responsibilities for, say Kendrick Nunn (who had some moments but generally looked like a rookie in the NBA Finals against an elite defense) or Herro, for whom the same sentiment can apply. Herro was especially hurt by Dragic’s absence, as he went from being a really good supporting piece to someone thrust in the spotlight and suddenly garnered the attention of the Lakers top perimeter defenders. He’ll learn and get better from the experience, but through the lens of these Finals, it did not go well. And when the team opted to go to the steady hand of Iguodala, things went poorly — while a good player, he posted, by far, the team’s worst net rating in the Finals. Herro, unsurprisingly, was third-worst, and sandwiched in-between those two was Adebayo.

This is not to say the Heat would’ve won the series with Adebayo and Dragic not suffering their Game 1 injuries, as the Lakers were heavy favorites going into the Finals for a reason, but poorly-timed injuries are one of the worst things about sports. Things may have ended the same way or maybe it would’ve gone very differently, but after a Bubble that featured some of the highest level basketball we’ve seen in an entire postseason, it was a disappointing end to see two of the brightest stars not able to be on the floor and at their best.

While Lizzo is known for making buoyant, feel-good tunes, she’s also always been outspoken when it comes to matters of social justice. In an upcoming episode of David Letterman’s Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Lizzo recounts her experience witnessing the Black Lives Matter movement over the years.

Speaking to Letterman about watching the country react to acts of police violence had made her numb. However, seeing the immense allyship following the murder of George Floyd this June has made her feel “hopeful” for the first time:

“As a Black citizen of this country, I’ve been heartbroken by the way we’ve been treated and seen my entire life. I remember there was a murder of a young Black person, unarmed, in Minneapolis down the street from my house. His name was Jamar Clark. I wrote this song called ‘My Skin’ and I was very like, ‘We gotta make a change.’ We were camping out in front of the precinct, we were getting shot at by God-knows-who. It was scary, it was dark times. And then, Tamir Rice, who was 12 years old, was just playing at a park and got shot within seconds by a police officer. Within seconds, a young, Black, 12-year-old boy. And people politicized it. How can you politicize the murder of a child? And I was so numb that I lost all hope for any kind of change in this country.

Change is painful and I think you have to sign yourself up for that. This time, I saw something different. I saw the sudden allyship of young white people, which I had never seen. And I also saw people in the news realize that it’s more than just a hashtag and a moment and a movement and that it’s not just us complaining — it’s a real, systemic poison. And that got me for the first time a little hopeful. […] I can’t help but to be optimistic and hopeful.”

Watch a clip of Lizzo’s interview with Letterman above.

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

Cardi B and Offset have had an up-and-down relationship over the past few years, and things seem complicated at the moment. Cardi recently filed for divorce, but the pair also recently celebrated Cardi’s 28th birthday together. Now, Cardi has discussed where things stand with the two at the moment, sharing some insight in an Instagram Live session on Tuesday night.

Explaining why she spent her birthday with Offset, Cardi told her viewers, “I just be starting to miss [him]… It’s hard not to talk to your best friend. And it’s really hard to have no dick.”

She also addressed criticisms about her being with Offset because of his gifts, saying, “I do like material things. What do you want me to do, the n**** gave me a Rolls-Royce and I snub him? And I really wanted some dick for my birthday.”

She summed up the situation, saying, “We’re some really typical two young motherf*ckers [who] got married early, that’s what we are. We’re not no different than y’all f*ckin’ dysfunctional-ass relationships. We’re the same way. We’re just more public. And I’m more r*tarded.”

Watch the video above, and revisit our recent timeline of Cardi and Offset’s relationship here.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Duckwrth released his major-label debut SuperGood in August. Following up the 16-track effort, the singer offers a cinematic visual alongside his Kian collaboration “Quick.”

Directed by Grizz Lee, Duckwrth’s “Quick” video opens with the musician pampering his lover with expensive clothes and jewelry. The two then whip around on the road in his vintage car as Duckwrth continues to make promises of buying her nice houses and vehicles. Suddenly, the car swerves off course and the couple flips over the side of the road. Duckwrth manages to get out unharmed, but something within him shifts. He’s inexplicably drawn to a far-away barn and arrives only to discover a puzzling sight.

Just ahead of his SuperGood release, Duckwrth sat down for an interview with Uproxx to chat about his sound on the record, saying, “I think that for me, it was proving to myself who I am and what sound I like the most for myself, what space I want to be in, and it’s something about soul and more specifically rhythm. Rhythm is my sh*t. When I perform, I don’t stop moving. Unless it’s just one of those moments I have to sit still, but further than that rhythm is my sh*t. So I think SuperGood solidified it for me. Like, ‘N****, this is you, so kick it here for a bit,’ but I’m still going to play with different genres.”

Watch Duckwrth’s “Quick” video with Kian above.

SuperGood is out now via Republic. Get it here.

In the trailer for Jiu Jitsu (posted above), Wylie, played by Nicolas Cage, says, “The comet you see in the sky right now passes over the earth every six years and causes a portal. And when it’s open, we get a visitor from a distant galaxy. The poet warrior in the sci-fi sense. The space man.” I wish theaters were open, so I could give that exposition a standing ovation in public. It’s not the same applauding on my couch, y’know?

Jiu Jitsu has everything you want from a B-movie: Nicolas Cage with long hair; Frank Grillo; Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior legend Tony Jaa; JuJu Chan; “the director of Kickboxer: Retaliation“; Nicolas Cage with long hair saying the following: “that is alien politics” and “you are all chosen Jiu Jitsu fighters” and “he’s crazy… like me” and “there’s no honor in killing crazy” and “I can fly, too.” And did I mention he does a backflip, too?

Here’s more, as if you’re not already sold.

Every six years, an ancient order of expert Jiu Jitsu fighters faces a vicious race of alien invaders in a battle for Earth. For thousands of years, the fighters that protect Earth have won… until now. When celebrated war hero Jake Barnes (Alain Moussi) is defeated by Brax, the indomitable leader of the invaders, the future of humanity hangs in the balance. Injured and suffering from amnesia, Jake is rescued by Wylie (Nicolas Cage), Keung, and his team of fellow Jiu Jitsu fighters. They must help Jake to regain his strength in order to band together and defeat Brax in an epic battle that will once again determine the fate of mankind.

Jiu Jitsu is available on On Demand on November 20.

Lil Nas X has been teasing new music for some time now. In July, he said his debut album was almost done and gauged its progress at 92 percent completed. By the start of October, that number was up to 98%. It looks like his first full-length release may be wrapped up now. At the very least, the rapper is teasing something new for November.

Yesterday, a fan noted on Twitter, “it has been 480 days since Lil Nas X dropped an original song. this wait comes to an end soon.” The rapper responded, “nasvember right around the corner,” with a party hat emoji. He also updated his social media bios to include the phrase “nasvember,” and in an Instagram Story, he wrote that he’s gonna have big moments beyond November as well: “2021 gonna be me in god mode! I can’t f*ckin wait!”

Lil Nas X already has some confirmed plans for next year, as he recently announced his first children’s book, C Is For Country, which goes on sale in January. The publisher’s bio describes the book, “Join superstar Lil Nas X — who boasts the longest-running #1 song in history — and Panini the pony on a joyous journey through the alphabet from sunup to sundown. Experience wide-open pastures, farm animals, guitar music, cowboy hats, and all things country in this debut picture book that’s perfect for music lovers learning their ABCs and for anyone who loves Nas’s signature genre-blending style.”

Jahana Hayes serves in Congress as the Representative of a district in northwest Connecticut. As part of her re-election campaign this year, she is hosting a series of virtual conversations throughout her district over Zoom so she can listen to the cares and concerns of the people she serves.

What she didn’t expect to listen to in one of those conversations was six minutes of racist bile directed at her.

First it was a voice, about 10 minutes into the meeting, saying “Shut up, N-word.” After Hayes’ team blocked that person, another came in with a clip of a song using the n-word on repeat. Again, her team removed the offending party. Then two more chimed in—clearly a coordinated effort.

Hayes kept it together during the racist attacks, smiling and apologizing to the people in the call and waiting patiently while her team took care of the trolls. She had just a handful of minutes between calls to check in with her team members and prepare for the next conversation, and she did. But that didn’t mean she was okay. In fact, she shared a post on Medium in which she made it clear that she was not okay.

“I am tired, completely and utterly tired,” she wrote. “No, actually I’m exhausted. This is something that a leader is not supposed to say; but it’s whatever.”

After explaining what happened, she wrote, “To wrap up my evening, I call my staffer, who was moderating the event, to see if she is ok—I call the only other Black person on the zoom to check in on her and be sure she is ok—I call my Communications Director to instruct him to report the incident. I cannot even reflect on what just happened because I have to be sure my team is ok. I sign out of my computer, but not before I post a screenshot of a section of the zoom chat which read ‘SHUT UP N-word GO PICK YOUR COTTON,’ repeated in all caps over and over—fully appreciating the fact that cries of ‘identity politics’ are sure to commence.”

She went on to explain how all of this feels:

“Many will question why I would post something so raw and offensive? It is because I realized in that moment that I am not ok. I am not ok that this happened. I am not ok, that this is not the first time this has happened in my life or that I’ve had to explain that this happens. I am not ok, that I have to post a screenshot to prove it happened. I am not ok, that people will still doubt that it happened or the word of the forty or so participants on the call will be a necessary to ‘verify’ the incident happened. I am not ok, that I will have to delicately explain to people that this happens—here. I am not ok, that many will try and separate/defend these words and actions and will not see that these comments are not about policy or politics—they are about racism and hate and challenge our decency. I am not ok! I said it—I admit it, I am not ok.

Black women are expected to press on, to ignore this behavior; to not talk explicitly about it because it is uncomfortable, divisive or does not reflect the sentiments of most people. I have watched other women weather this storm and fend off these types of attacks and wonder if in their quiet places they have felt what I am feeling right now. We have become numb to this behavior, instinct kicks in and we just move on. So many well intentioned people say things like, ignore it, you’re better than that or don’t let it bother you. Even as I write, I am exhausted by the fact that I am carefully choosing my words, as to capture the experience, but not offend the reader. We are left debating zoom security, yet not addressing the underlying issue—that pockets of racism and hate still exist right in our own front yard. The most painful part of it all is that no matter what you achieve in life, no matter how many degrees you earn or how good of a person you try to be—all some people will ever allow themselves to see is a N-word.

Has anyone ever considered the trauma of such an experience? Words matter and they cut deep, no matter how hard you try to suppress or ignore them—words hurt. In that moment I was reminded that I carry the weight of leading by example and knowing that everyone was watching my next step. As the first African American woman ever elected to Congress from CT, I know there is likely no blueprint for how to communicate my feelings on this topic to my constituents. I heard the words of Michelle Obama ‘when they go low we go high’ play over and over in my head. I imagined if my Grandma were here she would shake her head and immediately start to pray as she recalled some of the most painful parts of her own history. I thought of the 17 year old who is met with the same racist, vitriol attacks and has to make the life defining decision of how they will respond. So NO—I am not ok.

It does not mean that I am broken, or that I will give up. It does not mean that I do not love my country or recognize that one person does not speak for the majority. It means that, tonight I will practice some self care. I will read a book, take a bath and maybe have a good cry and tomorrow I will steady myself and get back to work.”

There are people in this country who think that successful Black Americans don’t experience racism, as if achievement in their careers or a certain level of economic comfort somehow hides the color of their skin. There are people in this country who brush off blatant racist incidents as an outlier—a rare occurrence that should just be ignored and that will just miraculously go away on its own.

But as Hayes points out, that’s not the way this works.

“Check in on your Black friends, I can assure you that there are many who are not ok in this current climate. Stop saying that this doesn’t happen here or dismissing it as anecdotal. Have an honest conversation about what we are all experiencing. Listen, don’t project, don’t make judgements, just listen. While understanding my pain may be a journey for some, a refusal to acknowledge it is a non starter for anyone who seeks to heal our nation. The only way we can cut the cancer of racism out of our communities is by calling it out when we see it and raising our collective voices to get rid of it. In the words of Edmund Burke, ‘the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good people to do nothing.’ Let’s all commit to doing something and being ok together.”

Yes, let’s all commit to doing something to destroy this cancer once and for all.

Quinton Brock is ready for his break-out moment. With his new single “To The Moon,” the New York-based musician weaves punk rock influences with shimmering melodies and is on a self-proclaimed journey to begin “changing rock music forever.”

“To The Moon” was born out of a particularly tumultuous time for the musician. Within days of each other, Brock’s beloved dog passed away and his girlfriend broke up with him, comparing him to a dog as a hurtful insult. Rather than wallow in the painful emotions, Brock turned to music as a cathartic outlet and created “To The Moon” as a result.

While the pandemic lockdown altered many of the artist’s musical aspirations, he’s still pushing through with his new sound. Debuting the track Wednesday, Brock took to Twitter to remind fans that this is only the beginning and signal that there’s more music in the pipeline.

While Brock is ready for a new era with the single, this is far from his first project. The musician already has two albums under his belt, including one with his short-lived band The Get Money Squad. Creative differences led to his band’s split, but also paved the way for Brock to shine in his new role as a solo artist.

Watch Brock’s “To The Moon” video above.

The relationship between LeBron James and his head coach has been a key ingredient in all of his championship teams, and his partnership with Frank Vogel was a factor in the Lakers building a dominant defense and developing a system that suited James and Anthony Davis so well. Vogel expanded on their connection in an interview with Jim Rome of CBS Sports on Wednesday, praising James for being “a great partner.”

“He just has an unbelievable feel for the game of basketball and what creates winning basketball,” Vogel said. “The ability to impact our team with his mind, not just on a particular play but the development of a team … being a great partner with (me) throughout the course of this year in building this thing, combined with the fact that he’s able at age 35 to go out and dominate the way he did … just gave me a whole new perspective on what I already knew was a great player.”

Vogel also pointed out how the Lakers did this after going into the 2019 offseason with just three players — James, Davis, and Kyle Kuzma — on their roster. By working with the coaching staff and altering his game to be even more of a passer than before, James was able to lead the Lakers to a title in his second season with the team.