Category: Viral

Amazon Prime’s superhero-skewering series, The Boys, is almost back after a teaser trailer hinted at the season’s new dynamics and a first-look clip suggested that the gore-factor of this show was still high. Executive producer Seth Rogen previously promised that the show would be even more outrageous for a sophomore season, and this new trailer reveals that showrunner Eric Kripke looks to have kept that standard intact.

First and foremost, it sure looks like Homelander isn’t having an easy time this season, which was to be expected after he left himself rootless by lasering his lover-mother figure, Madelyn Stillwell, to death. A replacement Supe for Translucent, Stormfront (Aya Cash), is challenging The Seven’s status quo, and Homelander isn’t thrilled with anyone other than himself taking charge. We also see him toss a child off a roof, so let’s just say that he’s not coping well with anything, and Butcher’s justifiable rage (and very personal axe to grind) won’t help matters.

In the meantime, The Boys are now fugitives of the federal government after Butcher was framed for Stillwell’s death, so there will be all sorts of chase-related mayhem on display. The water-bound scene looks (and sounds) insane (and disgusting), but hey, it looks like Chace Crawford’s The Deep is back in the game. Maybe? Hopefully, he’s learned a few things. And there’s a supervillain threat afoot as well, so expect this season to be a jam-packed one.

Amazon’s The Boys returns (weekly!) on September 4. The show’s already been renewed for a third season, and as of the second-season premiere, Aisha Tyler will host aftershow episodes. Here’s some new Homelander-and-Butcher-focused key posters.

As the owner of TIdal, Jay-Z has a vested interest in supplying the platform with content of his that isn’t available anywhere else. For years, the only place to stream most of his catalog was on Tidal, as Apple Music and Spotify users were left out in the cold until very recently. Now, the veteran rapper and business…man has added a few new exclusives from his extensive archive to Tidal, digging deep for three fan-favorite rare cuts to add to the fan experience on his platform.

The oldest track is “From Marcy To Hollywood,” from the 1998 film The Players Club. Released on March 17, 1998, the soundtrack to the Ice Cube film also contained Cube’s hit “We Be Clubbin,” and appearances from Brownstone, Changing Faces, DMX, Kurupt, Lil’ Mo, Mack 10, Master P, Memphis Bleek, and Scarface. “From Marcy To Hollywood” features Jay-Z’s protege Memphis Bleek and fellow New York City rapper Sauce Money, who worked with Jay extensively early in his career.

The next oldest track is “What The Game Made Me” from the soundtrack of the 1998 Master P vehicle I Got The Hook-Up. The album, like the film, was released by Master P’s No Limit Records and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, with tracks from Eightball & MJG, Ice Cube, Master P, Mystikal, Snoop Dogg, and a cadre of No Limit artists. Once again, Jay is joined by his compatriots Bleek and Sauce Money for another rundown of the street life that molded them.

Finally, the newest of the three tracks is the 2012 freestyle “Glory,” which Jay released around the birth of his daughter Blue Ivy and removed from streaming shortly thereafter. Blue has a feature, the first of her life. She now has over a million listeners on Spotify.

Listen to all three Jay-Z rare cuts above.

The Killers’ 2009 touring crew is facing allegations of sexual misconduct, which prompted the band to launch an internal investigation. Now, the results of that investigation have been shared, and in a statement, the band’s legal team, Reynolds & Associates, said during their investigation, they were “unable to find any corroboration.” They went on to say, however, that the legal team requests “that if there is anyone with corroborating information of an event as described in the allegation to please contact them.”

The statement concludes:

“Due to these allegations, and the very clear belief that this temporary crew member felt she had nowhere to turn with her concerns at the time, The Killers plan to take immediate action for future tours. The band believe there should always be an easy way to report a situation that is concerning to anyone on the road with them, no matter their status or how briefly they are joining for. They expressed regret that the temporary crew member was made to feel unsafe and bullied during her brief time with the band and understand that it is not always feasible for touring crew to raise concerns with their immediate superiors. […]

The Killers would like to take this opportunity to assure their fans — and the families of their current crew — that their tours are a safe, familial and professional working environment. They extend their thanks to crew past and present, as well as all other witnesses, for providing swift testimony to their Legal Team.”

The investigation was launched in response to a statement from sound engineer Chez Cherrie, who has released a message in response to The Killers’ legal team’s statement. She wrote:

“After reading through the Killer’s press release regarding my blog, I have conflicting feelings. First, I am grateful that they, as an organization, have taken my experience seriously and were moved to internally investigate and potentially lead the industry in a restorative manner so this never happens again. […] I hope that this moment is a learning experience for the entire industry and that we are able to come together in comprehensive manner to have these discussions that are so long overdue. I hope that we are able to work together to develop a framework of reporting mistreatment and harassment that protects workers and fans and demands accountability of the people in power.”

Read the full statements from The Killers’ legal team and from Cherrie below.

“The Killers’ Legal Team conducted a thorough investigation into all allegations including a lengthy interview with the former temporary crew member who brought them forward. She shared all of her recollections with us and we are very appreciative of her time. The Killers and their Tour Management found these allegations to be heartbreaking and instructed their Legal Team to investigate them vigorously. We are confident in our findings and express our thanks to everyone who spent time giving testimony.

What follows is a summary of the testimony obtained in regards to each allegation and the process by which the Legal Team were able to investigate each one. The Killers and their Tour Management requested that these findings be clearly detailed here in order that their friends, family and fans can be secure in the knowledge that the serious accusations of sexual misconduct and a sexual assault backstage at the Rave in 2009 were discovered to be entirely unfounded.

It was confirmed that the audio technician who made the allegation joined The Killers’ crew in 2009 for a period of three weeks beginning in April. Crew members from that leg of the tour, the band, Tour Management, Production and Band Assistants, third party vendors, short-term contracted audio crew, Venue Staff and Security, Catering Crew, and guests of the touring party from the venue in Milwaukee were contacted for testimony.

It was established that this temporary audio technician received much of the information she shared from a second or third hand source. She confirmed that she did not witness the alleged events herself. It was confirmed that she did not interact with any band members on the tour, nor could she recall ever coming into contact with the Tour Management team or (female) Production and Band Assistant. She was unable to identify who the Tour Management team were at the time but was able to identify her immediate superiors in the Production Crew and some of her crew colleagues.

The Legal Team were able to establish that a former front of house (FOH) Engineer for the band – who was responsible to direct the audio crew and therefore one of her superiors – was a problematic workmate. He was identified by several of the crew in attendance as such and it was confirmed that his treatment of others on the tour was frequently deemed unfair by those who witnessed it. It was the Legal Team’s assessment that a pattern of poor management by this person, and a series of sexist remarks and rude comments, caused the female crew member on the audio team great distress. This type of behavior is considered unacceptable by The Killers and their team. This FOH Engineer was terminated from the touring team in 2013.

It was not verified but assessed as feasible that the purported ‘bonus’ or ‘incentive’ system was discussed in front of the female audio crew member during her time on the tour. She did not hear anything of this purported system from any of the musicians or from Tour Management. She was unable to specify which musician this ‘bonus’ system was provided for, and stated that she did not see any ‘bonus’ system exchange in action during her time with the band. It was asserted to the Legal Team by everyone interviewed, including multiple crew members that the idea of the band paying them extra to ‘bring back girls’ or ‘have one waiting in the shower’ etc. was an in-joke based upon urban legends of tours from an earlier era – i.e. roadie folklore – and not something any of them actually did, were ever asked to do, or ever attempted to do. It was confirmed by the band members themselves that this was not anything any of them had ever done. The allegation of a girl being brought to the tour bus as a ‘birthday treat’ for one of the band members could not be corroborated. None of the band members – or the additional touring musicians who joined them on that run – have birthdays in the time frame the female audio technician was with the tour. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we appreciate that this former (temporary) crew member brought her concerns about these rumors to our attention.

It was confirmed via touring records that the band and additional touring musicians were divided evenly between two buses. No Flowers family members were present on the tour. It could not be corroborated that any band member or touring musician ever spent time on the crew bus. The temporary crew member who made the allegations was unable to identify any specific band member as being present on the crew bus. The band, and additional touring musicians on the road with them at that time, asserted they did not enter the crew bus at any time. None of the attending tour party could recall ever seeing a band member on a crew bus. One of the touring musicians from that time passed away in 2012 but the Legal Team was unable to find any witness to him being present on the crew bus.

It was established that the radio transmissions about a ‘line up’ in ‘Dressing Room A’ was broadcast by the aforementioned FOH Engineer on the audio team’s radio channel only. The rest of the touring party – including band and Tour Management – did not hear this broadcast. This was reported to the Legal Team by crew members who heard it as being FOH engineer’s attempt at a joke or a ‘hazing’ – either directed at members of the audio crew, who were busy loading out outside the venue, or for the entertainment of guests he had invited to the show and were with him at the time of his broadcast.

It could not be corroborated that there was ever a list placed on any door or any ‘line up’ or ‘train’ in any dressing room. In provided statements, staff from the venue in question noted that dressing rooms are not, and have never been, labeled alphabetically, and at that time the dressing rooms were interconnected and without doors. It was also established via all crew and Tour Management that upon arrival in any venue the dressing rooms are uniformly labeled with the band’s names. They do not alphabetize the dressing rooms and they are never referred to alphabetically on radio or otherwise. Venue Security asserted that no one from the venue chased down a departing bus or raised concerns about a drunk, naked girl in the dressing room. Venue Catering asserted that they visited all dressing rooms several times throughout the day and evening in order to replenish drinks, food and clear up. They asserted that at no point did they see or hear of a drunk or naked woman in any dressing room and anything of the sort would have been immediately radioed to all attending Production Crew and Venue Security.

Via touring records the Legal Team were able to trace the woman from the Milwaukee show’s guest list who was furnished with ‘after show’ passes from the FOH Engineer and confirm with her that she did not experience, witness or hear about a sexual assault. The temporary audio technician indicated to us in her interview she strongly believed it was this female guest of the FOH Engineer who had been left ‘drunk and naked’ in a dressing room. The guest in question confirmed that she and her friend were backstage after the show, did not witness any ‘train’ or ‘line up,’ nor were they left behind in the dressing rooms at the venue. She stated that she and the same friend attended 2009 Lollapalooza festival later that year on the band’s production guest list.

The band’s longtime Assistant Tour Manager (2008 – 2019) asserted that she had never heard anything so shocking in relation to touring with the band. She stated she had never felt unsafe or witnessed any behavior that would cause her to question the integrity of the band or crew. Tour Management asserted that as unofficial policy no one has ever knowingly been left behind in a dressing room in distress. The production would not depart a venue without making sure dressing rooms were clear. They asserted that anyone found disorientated or intoxicated would be helped home and they have in the past enlisted local Venue Security to provide care for guests who required any assistance.

All crew and Touring Management asserted that nothing as alleged had ever been witnessed – or rumored – on any of The Killers tours, in Milwaukee in 2009 or at any other time. This particular allegation was deeply disturbing to everyone on the touring team and they unanimously stated that they would have neither ignored nor forgotten an event of this nature.

The Legal Team were unable to find any corroboration whatsoever of a sexual assault at the Milwaukee venue. They request that if there is anyone with corroborating information of an event as described in the allegation to please contact them. Privacy will be respected.

It was ascertained that The Killers very frequently have women working with them in various roles, including on the 2009 tour. Specific to the 2009 tour, some of the touring crew recalled that vulgar language was sometimes used and that crass jokes were made and perpetuated on occasion. They asserted that this behavior could be attributed to a small faction of crew and not the entire production. Multiple current crew members stated that crude language of this type is now extremely rare. Tour Management stated that they have become increasingly vigilant on this front over the years and provided documentation verifying that aggressive or derogatory language by crew results in dismissal. Tour Management and band members recognize that sexual language can be weaponized to make women feel unsafe in a predominantly male environment. They consider continued vigilance on this issue to be their responsibility.

The Killers and their team are committed to a safe and inclusive space for everyone whilst on the road. While many third party vendor crew cycle in and out from tour to tour, most of the band’s current core touring crew have been with them for over a decade and each stated these allegations are completely unrecognizable to their working environment. Band and crew asserted that the behavior attributed to them in these allegations is in direct opposition to their principles and would not be tolerated by anyone on their team. The band and Tour Management expressed great regret that the experience of the temporary female audio technician had not been brought to their attention during the short run she was with them, or indeed at any time in the eleven years since, in order that they may have dealt with these issues immediately and addressed any questions or concerns she had about the band and crew’s conduct.

Due to these allegations, and the very clear belief that this temporary crew member felt she had nowhere to turn with her concerns at the time, The Killers plan to take immediate action for future tours. The band believe there should always be an easy way to report a situation that is concerning to anyone on the road with them, no matter their status or how briefly they are joining for. They expressed regret that the temporary crew member was made to feel unsafe and bullied during her brief time with the band and understand that it is not always feasible for touring crew to raise concerns with their immediate superiors.

The workings of a large scale tour involve many people, including frequently rotating vendor crew who have no contact with Tour Management. Typically there is no formal HR structure on any tour, however large scale, and all crew are managed by their immediate superior or Department Team Leader. All road crew and vendors are given an eTourbook/Itinerary with contact numbers for the entire touring party – including Tour Management, Band Management, Booking Agent and local Promoters. The Killers have directed their team to establish a new system wherein the entire touring party are furnished with an off-site independent HR contact to call to report concerns of any nature, anonymously if they wish. This telephone number will be available to everyone traveling with the band, staff or independent vendor. This number will also be displayed in the Production Office at their shows. All concerns will be dealt with swiftly by band management.

The Killers would like to take this opportunity to assure their fans – and the families of their current crew – that their tours are a safe, familial and professional working environment. They extend their thanks to crew past and present, as well as all other witnesses, for providing swift testimony to their Legal Team.”

“After reading through the Killer’s press release regarding my blog, I have conflicting feelings. First, I am grateful that they, as an organization, have taken my experience seriously and were moved to internally investigate and potentially lead the industry in a restorative manner so this never happens again.

There are some generalized statements in their release that I don’t agree with but as I am not interested in naming names and accusing specific people publicly, I am not sure that there is much to discuss there. I have, however, always made it clear to the legal team which band members I referenced, when it came to the ‘3’d in line’ hired gun musician and the associated long running joke about him being 3’d in line for the remainder of the tour, as well as the member who preferred women to shower for him. I was surprised to hear that the radio call that went out during our load out was an attempt to ‘haze’ the audio crew mid tour, but I am beyond relieved that the tour was able to find this woman, and she is reportedly fine.

My blog is what I experienced, and if ‘hazing’ is the reason why I heard about the bonus incentives and otherwise, this reflects the larger issue in this industry — that ‘hazing’ towards the only women on the technical crew was normal, expected, accepted and not questioned by anyone, including myself. I hope that this moment is a learning experience for the entire industry and that we are able to come together in comprehensive manner to have these discussions that are so long overdue. I hope that we are able to work together to develop a framework of reporting mistreatment and harassment that protects workers and fans and demands accountability of the people in power.

Thank you for your time.”

Thanks to some repeated hints throughout the last six months, speculation about J. Cole possibly attempting to make an NBA roster has reached a fever pitch, with former NBA recruit Master P even claiming that Cole came to him for advice. While Cole may be a tad outside the usual range for NBA scouts at 35 years old, he’s made a habit of posting basketball workout videos to his Instagram and even talked about nearly quitting rap to pursue professional hoops, making the possibility that someone would at least invite him to training camp seem a little less far-fetched.

Here’s the thing: Cole is far from the only rapper to use social media to boast of his skills in two games like Peewee Kirkland (Pussssh). As far back as the birth of hip-hop, the sport and the music have been inextricably tied together, as hoopers tried their hands at rapping and vice versa. While basketball players have typically had an easier time crossing over — see: Damian Lillard, Shaq, and Kobe Bryant — for rappers to compete on the hardwood, they have to develop a set of skills that are harder to counterfeit.

So even if Cole can’t make it all the way to the big leagues — Big 3, maybe, G-League at best — here are some of the other rappers who could give him a run for his money should he ever decide to pull an Ice Cube and start up his own, rappers-only basketball league.

Drake

Of course, the most well-known of these rappers-turned-hoopers is none other than Mr. “Most No. 1s” himself. Drake is pretty much a fixture of the NBA’s courtside contingent and can be seen interacting with players and refs and generally going viral at a moment’s notice because everything Drake does is accidentally hilarious — including his basketball workout videos. The video of Drake’s all-star run featuring Quavo, Justin Bieber, and other music stars seems almost calculated to make us all forget about his Kentucky warm-up airball, as he completely loses a defender off the dribble and aces a three with a Paul Pierce-ish, ultra-slow crossover dribble.

Quavo

If Drake’s love for hoops is evident throughout his art (the stage on his Drake and the Three Amigos Tour was designed to occasionally become a court floor), then Quavo is following in his big bro’s footsteps. Not only does his “How Bout That” video focus on an outdoor hoops tournament, Quavo has been a perennial floor general at the NBA’s All-Star Celebrity Game, dishing assists to the likes of Win Butler and swatting Common layups. Qua even crowed about the latter on his Instagram, apparently miffed by Common’s selection as game MVP in his hometown of Chicago. Qua’s workouts often show off his speed, agility, handles, and jumper — all tools the 5’10 guard needs to be effective against taller competition.

Lil Durk

Durk is an interesting case among rapper-hoopers because there’s no evidence he ever played organized ball of any kind. While Drake and Quavo played at their respective high schools or in travel ball teams, Durk seems entirely self-taught. That doesn’t stop him from showing off one of the smoothest jumpers out of all the rappers here save one (Drake’s got that weird hitch at the top of his shot, while Quavo’s footwork is all over the place). A video of Durk shooting jumpers went viral among NBA players, who shared the clips with compliments for his shooting form. Durk also expressed his confidence by directly challenging the above three rappers in a video clip posted after the death of Kobe Bryant. He once tweeted he’d “bust [J. Cole’s] ass,” so he’s definitely accepting any and all smoke.

Lil Dicky

Dicky’s lethal outside jumper is the highlight of his game, even making a cameo appearance in the season finale of his show Dave in an extended fantasy sequence that had him earning the respect of some incarcerated hoopers behind his sniper-esque shooting. Having witnessed Dicky’s game in real life with my own four eyes, I can attest that the depiction wasn’t too far off from the truth. Dicky tends to pop up at celebrity games all over LA and is one of the more respected players among those who actually hoop for a living. He even had a tongue-in-cheek appearance in a comedy clip as the “fourth Ball brother,” clowning around with Lonzo, LaMelo, and LiAngelo and their dad Lavar — and outshooting them all (this was before Lonzo fixed his form).

Sada Baby

One of the newer rappers to arrive on the scene, Detroit’s Sada Baby is swiftly making a name for himself. His handful of mixtapes have already made him an in-demand rapper among fans in the know, who eagerly await each new release with ears tuned for his witty NBA references (“Big ass shotgun look like Lauri Markkanen”). Sada Baby apparently wants fans to respect him on the hardwood as much as they do on the mic, posting almost as many pickup videos to his Instagram as he does rap promotion. It’s only a matter of time before his predecessors are clamoring to meet up with him — but many of them might be looking for the pickup fade as much as a feature verse.

It’s tempting to jump to a lot of conclusions about Seth Rogen’s intentions with An American Pickle. Rogen plays the dual roles of Ben – a contemporary web entrepreneur living in Brooklyn – and Herschel, Ben’s great grandfather, who has been living in a state of suspended animation for the last 100 years after a freak pickling accident. Now, what’s tempting about the whole thing is that we have Rogen playing off Rogen, so what’s he trying to say about himself? (What’s really tempting about it is there’s just not much else going on right now. It’s August, a bad time for movies anyway, but this year is especially bleak.)

Kind of surprisingly, the movie avoids a lot of the fish out of water stuff you might expect. Yes, Herschel is surprised Ben has as many socks as he does, but when Herschel’s lack of knowledge of technology is made a plot point, it’s usually used as a weapon against Herschel. But is this movie about Seth Rogen’s own id? Is this Rogen himself grappling with his own thoughts on fame, his online persona, human compulsion, or his own religious faith? (Which, with that last one, we are actually seeing play out in the press right now.) Or is this just an idea by Simon Rich that Rogen thought was funny? Probably the latter. But, I’m bored, so I’ll make a bigger deal out of it than it maybe needs to be.

An American Pickle is more interesting than laugh-out-loud hilarious. It’s introspective, without at all seeming that way. Herschel is brash and has a million outdated ideas about society, but has a good heart and his motivations are pure. And, yes, he winds up getting himself canceled after Ben (maliciously) recommends Herschel start a Twitter account and share his unfiltered thoughts with the world. Ben is envious of Herschel because Ben’s “big business idea” failed and Herschel becomes an internet sensation for making street pickles that everyone in Williamsburg loves. (Look, Williamsburg hipsters are always an easy target. I live in Manhattan and I have not been anywhere other than Manhattan since March, and even I kind of miss Williamsburg right now. So, I’m going to let this slide.) Again, I like to think there’s more going on here. It’s Seth Rogen, looking at his brash id, wondering why he can’t just run with that, then purposely sabotaging that id. (I point to the calendar one more time.)

Though, in comedies, one of Rogen’s biggest strengths is just riffing with other characters (a great example of this is last year’s Long Shot with he and Charlize Theron just trading lines). Rogen is so good at this and does it so effortlessly, I honestly think he makes the people around him better. I wouldn’t even call it a “trick,” because I think it’s just his natural reaction, but Rogen’s laugh is so infectious and so profound, it gives a person a sense of confidence to keep trying. (I’ve experienced this when interviewing Rogen. When he laughs at something dumb you say, it makes you feel really good. I can see how on set this would encourage actors to keep going with him.) But in An American Pickle, he’s doing this with himself and it’s not quite the same. The timing just feels a little off. There’s a scene in the credits where Ben and Herschel are watching Yentl and it’s just not quite as funny as we think it’s going to be. The whole movie is kind of like that. But like I said, it’s the premise that drives this film: a nice man from 100 years ago who becomes a media sensation, then gets canceled on Twitter.

As a bit of an aside: An American Pickle will be on HBO Max this weekend, a service there’s a good chance you already have and may not know it, at least if you already have an HBO subscription. I wouldn’t recommend subscribing to HBO Max just to watch this alone, but if you already have the service, it’s definitely “worth a watch.” (Please, someone put that pullquote on a poster! “An American Pickle is definitely worth a watch.” – Mike Ryan, Uproxx) That said, I’ve been pretty impressed with HBO Max so far. It has arguably the deepest lineup of films of any streaming service. It’s legitimately impressive. There was one week I watched The Battle of Algiers, Bonnie & Clyde, and When Harry Met Sally. So add in something like An American Pickle and I do really like what they’re trying to do. They don’t need a mass influx of new films like Netflix does, but something like this every now and then still makes the service feel fresh.

‘An American Pickle’ begins streaming this coming weekend on HBO Max. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

In early 2020, Hank Azaria announced that he would no longer voice Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on The Simpsons. “What they’re going to do with the character is their call. It’s up to them and they haven’t sorted it out yet. All we’ve agreed on is I won’t do the voice anymore,” he said. Apu wasn’t the only Simpsons character voiced by a white actor, though, and in June, producers released a statement saying that “moving forward, The Simpsons will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters.” (Family Guy, Big Mouth, and Central Park followed suit.)

Harry Shearer doesn’t sound like a fan of this decision.

Shearer, who voiced Dr. Hibbert and Judge Snyder, among other non-white characters, told the Times Radio, “I have a very simple belief about acting. The job of the actor is to play someone who they are not. That’s the gig, that’s the job description.” When asked if he would get paid less for not voicing Hibbert, he replied, “We’re not paid by the voice”:

“I think there’s a conflation between representation, which is important — people from all backgrounds should be represented in the writing and producing ends of the business so they help decide what stories to tell and with what knowledge — and performance.”

Shearer never straight-up says he disagrees with the “no longer have white actors voice non-white characters” mandate, but the subtext is there. It’s a puzzling response, especially from someone who once quit the show. This whole thing, like the low-blow response to The Problem with Apu, could have been avoided by Shearer simply saying (and genuinely meaning), “I welcome a Black actor voicing a Black character.”

He’s getting paid, either way.

(Via the Times Radio)

In recent years, the NBA has become a more welcoming place for conversations about health, especially on the mental side. Players have begun using their platforms to promote mental wellness and the importance of taking care of your mental health in the same way as your physical well-being.

For Blake Griffin, he’s long been on a personal journey to explore the world of health and wellness, growing up in a health-conscious household and being a health and exercise science major at Oklahoma. Now, he’s taking that personal interest into the podcast space with his aptly titled “The Pursuit of Healthiness” podcast on Audible, which released all 10 episodes of its first season on August 4, available to all Audible subscribers — with a second season already greenlit.

Griffin’s guest list for season 1 includes Michael B. Jordan, Ariana Huffington, Chelsea Handler, Karlie Kloss, Deepak Chopra, and more, as he talked with each about their own wellness journeys and what they’ve learned as leaders in their respective fields. Griffin spoke with Dime this week about the podcast, the importance of having these public conversations about mental health, the mental side of injury rehab, and much more.

Before we get into the podcast, what has been your personal process for working out and staying healthy physically and mentally over the past few months?

I really just tried to put together sort of a routine, just to try and stay sane and to have structure to my week and days. So I do my workouts in the morning and that leaves the afternoon for different stuff, whether we were recording an interview or a zoom meeting or phone calls, whatever it may be. Then sort of saving nighttime for relaxing, and that way I just didn’t — like, the first week I felt like the days were slipping away from me if I didn’t have my routine in place. So I’ve really been doing that the whole quarantine besides the first week.

From a workout perspective, it’s a long time to go without being in a team facility. How have you adapted, because there is such a difference in being in basketball shape and maybe being in gym shape or workout shape and try to stay at least close to that basketball form?

Yeaaah, I think for the most part I’m lucky because I just moved into a new house, and I made a gym in it in one of the rooms. So I at least have pretty much everything that I need, so from that I was able to get those workouts in, and also just like, the team and my trainer personally sent different conditioning workouts to switch it up and emulate some sort of basketball shape, as close as you can anyways — it’s sort of impossible. That’s sort of how I’ve gone about it. Not perfect, but it’s definitely getting the job done.

Where did the idea for “The Pursuit of Healthiness” come from?

I’ve always had a pretty big interest in health and wellness. So like, my mom is probably one of the healthiest or most health conscious people that I know. Always reading nutrition books and had us taking vitamins and fish oil and drinking green juices since we were like 5, 6 years old. So, that sort of started me on this journey, and then once I got to college I was a health and exercise science major. Some of my favorite classes were the Kinesiology and health and all that, just because of the interesting things I was learning about my body and I felt like I could apply those to basketball and they can help me in that space.

So, that was sort of what sparked it, and then from there I’ve always sort of had conversations with trainers or strength coaches or team doctors about health, about the body, and all these different things. It’s always been one of my biggest interests and I realized if I was going to do a podcast, why not do it about something that really, truly interests me. And I get to have these amazing conversations with people who are leading their field or inspiring others with their dedication to their craft. So really that’s what made me want to do this, and also sort of navigate and help people understand a world that can be daunting was something that was important to me.

Like you said, this first 10 episodes is a really wide array of guests.

Yeah.

What do you feel like you personally got out of this experience of talking to these other people who are at the highest levels of their professions in the sports and entertainment and health and wellness space?

Yeah, I mean, for me — it’s a great question — I think it’s about perspective. There’s some things that I never really — like you know about meditation, but when you’re talking about meditation with [Headspace founder] Andy Puddicombe it’s a whole different conversation that maybe I haven’t really thought about things a certain way. Or if you’re talking to, you know, Michael B. Jordan about functionally training versus trying to get ready for just a scene, it’s sort of an interesting perspective, and really it just makes me think about things in different ways. I think that’s what I appreciate most about these conversations. It opens up my mind to all new experiences.

I listened to the Michael B Jordan episode and him and his trainer talking about how they really craft workouts based on the role I thought was really interesting. I was wondering if that was something you connected to as a basketball player, cause it’s not like you just go in the gym and just work out. There’s so much of a plan that goes into what you work on based on what you need to do on the floor. Is that something you wanted people to get out of this podcast is how much effort goes into the plan and focus on health and wellness for people at the top of these professions?

Yeah, I think like, that version of that for me is just the amount of work that we do before or after workouts. It’s like the first 20 or 25 minutes of my workouts is all balance stuff. It’s all things that are functional, and for some other athletes too, but basketball specifically. And that’s, you know, the boring, tedious, monotonous exercises you don’t want to do, but you have to do if you want to be good. That’s sort of how I guess I would compare that conversation that I had with him is everybody, when you talk to somebody who really does this and dedicates the time, you really learn the details, and I think the more details you know about a topic the more well educated you are.

You also discuss the importance of mental health and him going to therapy, and how there’s this shift in perception with this current generation about allowing yourself as a man to be more vulnerable. How important is it to have those conversations about that publicly as a prominent male athlete and to be able to do that with a prominent male actor and do that in a public forum?

I think it’s very, very important. For so long, people in general have a hard time talking about feelings, and men are sort of taught from an early age that you don’t talk about feelings, you don’t show emotions, you do this and this. Especially Black men and especially Black men who are athletes. We’ve sort of chosen this world where it’s not a popular topic of conversation and I think that needs to change because it can really help people. A lot of the times when people are hurting and need to talk to somebody, it’s invisible to everybody else. You know, as athletes, being hurt physically, it’s very easy to see, but like that mental side, the part where people are struggling that you don’t see, you’re sort of going through life and nobody knows about that. And I think just normalizing that conversation is a step in moving in the right direction, because we all deserve to have the help that we need when we need it. That’s a huge part of it, is just people feeling comfortable with even talking about it.

You mention in that episode the toughest time in your career was having to sit out as a rookie. You just went through another surgery and rehab with your knee. What have you learned about the mental side of rehabbing an injury from your career? Because like you said, we can see the physical injury, but there’s a mental side of the rehab process and being off the court and trying to work your way back that I think that often gets lost in the discussion?

Yeah, I think one of the biggest things that I don’t think people truly understand is how mental or how tough mentally going through a rehab process is. Not only do you not feel great because you had surgery or whatever it is and you’re having to rehab this specific area, you’re also having to do all the other workouts and stay in as good a shape as possible. That’s one part of it, but for me, the other part is, basketball’s been taken away, you know. So, that’s the one thing that I truly, truly, truly love doing, and have for as long as I can remember. So when you take that away, it affects you mentally and that’s why in most of these episodes I hit on some sort of mental health or mental wellness, just because whether you’re an athlete, doctor, therapist, public speaker, that’s something you can really lean on and is important to address. So, those are sort of some of the things that go into rehab, but I think talking about that and making it aware to people that it’s a mental battle every day when you’re rehabbing an injury is important.

What do you hope people can take away from listening to this podcast and take into their lives?

Honestly I hope that answer is a little different for everyone. I hope people get something out of it, but everybody’s so different. Some people need to hear different things. If they hear Ariana Huffington stress putting your phone down and really taking care of yourself or getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep a night, I think that’s important. If they hear Andy Puddicombe talk about meditation, you can go on and on down the list. Everybody had a very unique perspective and something to say that no matter what it is, I hope people can at least take something and feel like they’re living a better or healthier life or improving themselves in one way or another.

I know Season 2 has been greenlit already, what are your plans for expanding this series and where you want to take it next?

Um, obviously still staying on topic but for me it’s about finding more and more people that have the interesting perspective, that have something to say, and being able to navigate those conversations to make them make sense to people. I was really proud of Season 1 and I thought that our team did a great job of helping find guests and do research, and really just looking forward to improve upon that in Season 2.

The deluxe version of DaBaby’s Blame It On Baby is here, and with it comes new tracks featuring the likes of Gunna, Stunna 4 Vegas, and Young Thug. The latter song is “Blind,” a guitar-driven, sing-song ode to the North Carolina’s seeming overnight success on which he sings a bit like his guest before Thugger completely takes over the back half of the song with his strangled cat crooning. It’s an easygoing track that shows DaBaby’s growing versatility as a rapper, slowing way down from his usual breakneck, Indy 500 pace.

Another highlight is the previously-released single “No Dribble,” on which DaBaby trades verses with his North Carolina protege Stunna 4 Vegas in a much more typically high-energy outing for the chatterbox rappers. Gunna appears on the 9th new track, “TLC,” a bouncy, almost pop-esque production from Starboy & DJ K.i.D, which really stretches the sonic palette Gunna is used to working with. DaBaby also switches up his flow a bit on “Trouble,” adding a little more melody to his punishingly rhythmic delivery.

The ten new songs bring the total to 24, making for a near hour-long listen that also includes the BLM remix of “Rockstar,” DaBaby’s No. 1 single with Roddy Ricch. While the deluxe album trend receives mixed reviews from fans and critics online, Blame It On Baby adds another worthy work to the growing canon of redux albums that have become the industry standard for the foreseeable future.

Listen to “Blind” with Young Thug above.

Blame It On Baby (Deluxe) is out now via Interscope Records. Get it here.

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

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres recently apologized over allegations of her show’s “toxic” workplace. The criticism didn’t ebb with the host’s apology, however. Brad Garrett stepped up to claim that he knew multiple people who “were treated horribly by her,” and he further stated that toxicity “comes from the top.” Now, a former The Ellen Show producer has revealed her own experiences in working with the Emmy award-winning daytime talk series.

Hedda Muskat, who came aboard The Ellen Show in the early aughts (while it was being developed), spoke with The Wrap and accused Ellen of fostering a “culture of fear.” She also called Ellen a “toxic host” who merely “giggled” when executive producer Ed Glavin (who is now exiting the show following widespread accusations, including racist behavior) allegedly shouted at a crew member in front of the whole staff. The incident reportedly took place at a meeting, and Muskat alleges that Ellen responded like this:

“She crossed her legs up on the chair and she said, ‘Well, I guess every production needs their dog.’ And from then we knew. Ed was going to be the barking dog — her dog. You could just see everybody’s faces go stiff. We’re professionals; we’re adults. We don’t need a dog to get us to do our jobs… She was the only one giggling.”

For this incident, Maskat points the finger more at Ellen than Ed (“Ed was a bully, but he worked for Ellen. It was her show). She further related how Glavin asked her to give him a list of all her producing “sources,” and when she refused to do so (she told The Wrap, “I’ve worked 18 years to build these sources. Those sources are why you hired me”), she felt as though that was a turning point, and “I was really on everybody’s sh*t list.” Shortly thereafter, Muskat says she received less responsibility and was let go (in 2004) after only about a year in her producing position.

Muskat’s account follows a Buzzfeed investigative report, in which multiple employees alleged that Ellen’s “Be Kind” mantra rang false behind the scenes. This led to her public apology and her announcement of an internal investigation and promises to correct the issues. In the meantime, people are taking sides.

On Twitter, comedian Kevin Porter called Ellen “notoriously one of the meanest people alive.” He encouraged people to share “insane stories you’ve heard about Ellen being mean” in exchange for his donations to the LA Food Bank.

Whereas Ellen’s wife, Portia de Rossi, Instagrammed an “I Stand By Ellen” graphic with the following caption: “To all our fans….we see you. Thank you for your support.”

(Via The Wrap & Buzzfeed)

The release of Taylor Swift’s new album Folklore was a surprise to the world, as she dropped the album less than 24 hours after announcing it. The strategy paid off, as the album and its songs are breaking records. Like anything Swift does, Folklore has been talked about a lot, and a fair amount of that talking has come courtesy of Phoebe Bridgers.

Bridgers is an often hilarious Twitter presence, and she has been on top of her game since the Swift album was announced. Last night, she made a funny comparison between one of her Punisher songs and a Folklore highlight, tweeting, “graceland too is betty for people who hate themselves.” She also retweeted a fan who wrote, “phoebe bridgers is taylor swift for people who hate themselves.”

This isn’t the first parallel Bridgers has drawn between herself and Swift in the past couple weeks. Somebody recently tweeted the album covers of Folklore and Punisher and noted their compositional similarities, writing, “this looks like a long-distance duet scene from a goth disney movie.” Bridgers shared it and added, “bich I wish.”

Somebody else shared a video of clips of both Swift and Bridgers set to 100 Gecs’ “Money Machine,” and Bridgers re-shared, commenting, “name brand vs great value.” Last week, Bridgers also suggested her next album could be inspired by Swift, writing, “next record is called f*cklore.”

Meanwhile, Bridgers recently linked up with Courtney Barnett to cover a Gillian Welch song for a virtual festival.