Category: Viral

Problem his been on a roll this year in and outside of music. Fresh off his Coffee And Kush Vol. 1 project from late May, the Compton native is readying Volume 2 with his new single, “Nothin.” Bringing fellow West Coast veteran Jay Rock and newcomer Jack Harlow from out east to the festivities, Problem’s new song finds the trio laid back in the driver’s seat with carefree bars that remind listeners of their nonchalant attitude to the competition. The song arrives just a week after he called on Snoop Dogg and Freddie Gibbs for a new video to their “Don’t Be Mad At Me” remix.

Aside from his Coffee And Kush Vol. 1 project, Problem also shared a short film earlier this year entitled A Compton Story featuring narration from Mike Epps and production from TDE’s Punch. As for the featured guests on the song, Jack Harlow recently saw his “What’s Poppin” track reach No. 2 on Billboard‘s singles chart shortly before he was included in the 2020 XXL Freshman class. Jay Rock, on the other hand, has been rather quiet. Aside from his appearance on Anderson .Paak’s “Lockdown” remix, the TDE rapper has not shared much as he continues work on his upcoming fourth album which he said was “80% percent done” back in March.

Listen to “Nothin” above.

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

Ty Dolla Sign has been hard at work on his upcoming third album, Dream House, over the last three years. After holding fans down with songs like “Purple Emoji” and “Hottest In The City,” Ty takes one more step closer to the upcoming album with his latest release, “Expensive” with Nicki Minaj. On the track, Ty celebrates the materialistic woman in his life while Nicki Minaj labels herself as an expensive woman as well. Dropping the track with a video, Ty’s lady comes home from a shopping spree, one that leaves the singer drowning in pricey merchandise. Emptying his pockets for his partner’s desires, Nicki Minaj appears later to reinforce her own high-class taste.

The single arrives after Ty Dolla Sign kicked off the campaign this upcoming Dream House album with “Ego Death” featuring Kanye West, FKA Twigs, and Skrillex. The song marked the latest addition to a long list of collaborations between him and Kanye West that includes “Real Friends,” Guard Down,” “Wouldn’t Leave,” and the unreleased TikTok favorite, “New Body” which also features Nicki Minaj.

While the song is just Ty Dolla Sign’s second release as a lead artist this year, the West Coast singer has lent his voice to a number of songs this year including Murda Beatz’s “Doors Unlocked,” which they recently released a video for, Strick’s “Yacht Club” with Young Thug, Thundercat’s “Fair Chance,” Russ’ “3AM,” and more.

Listen to “Expensive” above.

Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Calvin Harris released his last album in 2017 with Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, arguably the strongest effort of his career. More than three years later, Harris returns with some more funk for fans in the form of his new single with The Weeknd, “Over Now.”

The song was originally teased last week when Harris shared a picture with The Weeknd that found the two posing with a few drinks backstage at a Coachella festival. After previewing the single shortly after the post, Harris and The Weeknd confirmed the single on their social media pages. On the funk-driven track, The Weeknd sings to an old flame and reminds them that their relationship is indeed over. “I need you to know that / We ain’t ever gonna go back,” he says on the song. Attached with a video, the visual presents The Weeknd as a large animated figure that travels the world — and outside of it — while voicing his frustrations with his past lover.

With his latest single, Harris may be working on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, but fans should not their hopes up too quickly. In 2018, sixth months after Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 was released, Calvin Harries sent out a tweet than said he would no longer be making “funk wav” music. “In 2018 movin on from Funk Wav sound thank u for joining me on my musical journey haha,” he said in the tweet. Harris had a rather quiet 2018 and 2019 following Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, before he returned this year. Operating under his Love Regenerator alter-ego, he’s released four EPs and a single with Steve Lacy.

The song also arrives after The Weeknd contributed vocals for Juice WRLD’s posthumous track, “Smile.”

Listen to “Over Now” above.

The final night of the Republican National Convention capped itself off with Donald Trump once again accepting his party’s presidential nomination. His speech largely fit into the theme of the evening — law and order and accusing Joe Biden of threatening law and order — and Trump patted himself on the back for how well he believes that the U.S. handling the pandemic (despite evidence to the contrary). The president then summed up Biden as taking “donations of blue collar workers, gave them hugs…. and even kisses, and told them he felt their pain – and then he flew back to Washington and voted to ship their jobs to China.”

Naturally, the tightly-packed crowd loved the “hugs and kisses” remark (while much of the crowd at home undoubtedly recalled Trump’s “locker room comments”). Oh, and people definitely noticed one strange moment when Trump first took the stage after an introduction from his senior advisor/daughter, Ivanka. Presumably, she and Melania exchanged smiles, and then the first lady’s expression appeared to turn ice cold.

Is everything… alright between the two of them? According to the recently published memoir from Melania’s former advisor Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania and Ivanka have been nursing a rivalry for years that was allegedly referred to as “Operation Block Ivanka.” Who knows if this is really true, but it’s easy to get carried away with imagination here and wonder if Ivanka secretly struck her tongue out at her stepmother.

Truly, this is a mysterious development, but one thing is certain: this “death stare” is so awkward. And as another Twitter user even joked, “This episode of Dynasty SUCKS!”

A Republican National Convention unlike any other concluded on Thursday night, with Donald Trump taking over the South Lawn of the White House for a series of speeches that concluded with him accepting the nomination of the Republican party.

The visuals were enough to make Jake Tapper chastise the scene in Washington, for the crowd at the White House caused him to worry about the still-ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the impact a crowded lawn has on public perception. Tapper called it a potential “super spreader event” and quoted a doctor who was worried about the scene portrayed on television before and during Trump’s acceptance speech and the various speeches held beforehand.

Wolf Blitzer set the stage for the scene on the South Lawn, saying about 2,000 people were expected to attend with little social distancing in mind. He then threw it to Tapper, who was aghast at the visuals of crowds gathering with few masks in sight.

“You remember a few weeks ago when president Trump finally wore a mask, and so many people in the White House and in the health community breathed a sigh of relief. Finally we were going to get a good example set by the president,” Tapper said. “Well I’ve been talking to health officials across the country who are just abjectly mortified by what they’re seeing from the South Lawn, which looks like a potential super spreader event.”

Tapper then quoted Dr. Ashish K. Jha of the Harvard Global Health Institute, who was also not happy with what they saw.

“This is deeply irresponsible,” Tapper relayed from Jha. “It goes against all that we know about keeping people safe. We should expect better from our national leaders.”

Tapper continued, pointing out that more Americans had died of coronavirus during the four-day convention than had died on 9/11 while Trump continued to minimize the virus and flouted social distancing rules amid the pandemic.

“The idea that 2,000 individuals with no mass testing, no social distancing, very few of them wearing masks, coming together. Forget the Hatch Act violations, we’re getting into a matter of life and death here. It’s really alarming and I have to say, the idea of this happening while this pandemic is going on and the president and the White House and trying to convince us that it isn’t is otherworldly,” Tapper said. “Since this convention began on Monday until 5 p.m. today eastern, 3,688 Americans have died of coronavirus. Just since the Republican convention we have had more losses due to this virus than were lost due to 9/11.”

The 2020 NBA Playoffs will resume, presumably in the near future, but the league’s Thursday night slate of games was postponed. With an open space on the television calendar, ESPN pivoted from the scheduled game broadcast to a special edition of NBA Countdown, with Maria Taylor hosting the show. As part of a discussion during the program, Taylor shared a story from her personal life, reflecting on what her father said to her brother about interactions with the police.

Taylor’s story is likely all too familiar to many Americans and, as she notes, the fact that her father was a member of law enforcement seemingly saved her brother from a charge that he did not earn. Her words also come at a time when many in the broadcast media are sharing what is on their hearts.

NBA champion Robert Horry recently spoke of fearing for his children’s lives, with TNT analyst Kenny Smith electing to leave the set in solidarity and support of NBA players, and former All-Star and current TNT analyst Chris Webber pleading for change in a moving statement of his own. While there are, unfortunately, many more stories and insights being shared both inside and outside the sports world, the willingness for on-air personalities to make themselves vulnerable in this setting can impact change, and it is admirable and needed at this important juncture.

The parole hearing for Bobby Shmurda was the subject of much anticipation for fans, though the week of August 17 came and went without any news of his status. A little over a week after the scheduled parole hearing, though, New York’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision revealed a new target date for his hearing with Complex.

“Ackquille Pollard’s Board of Parole interview is currently scheduled for the week of September 14,” a spokesperson for the department told Complex. If granted, the rapper’s earliest release date on parole would be December 11, 2020, making it a possibility he is home in time for Christmas.

The rapper’s sentence began in 2016 when the rapper plead guilty to weapons possession and conspiracy charges after authorities arrested Shmurda and his fellow GS9 squad members following a two-year gang investigation. In his trial, Bobby’s “Hot N****” and “Bobby B*tch” were used as evidence against him in court to convict him.

Either way a decision following the parole hearing will not be immediately made, as the board has up to two weeks following the hearing to make their decision on the rapper. If the board opts to deny Shmurda parole, the rapper will continue his sentence and be released no later than December 11, 2021. One the music side of the things, Bobby’s last release came as a feature on Tekashi 69’s “Stoopid.”

(via Complex)

With myriad games postponed across the sporting landscape, the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins were still scheduled to square off on Thursday evening. Though there was buzz that the two teams may elect not to play, the Mets and Marlins took the field near the scheduled time of first pitch. Instead of beginning the game, however, the two teams engaged in 42 seconds of silence and protest, honoring Jackie Robinson on the eve of Jackie Robinson Day for the sport, and then all of the players exited the field.

The Mets and Marlins did leave behind a symbolic gesture, though, with a t-shirt positioned at home plate that read “Black Lives Matter.”

Though the message was clear in what the two sides chose to do, noise permeated the proceedings, dating back to earlier in the day. Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen was caught in a hot mic moment, referring to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in a less than stellar light on account of an idea to play the game after an hour delay to allow the players to make a statement.

Moments after the Mets and Marlins left the field on Thursday, Van Wagenen issued a statement clarifying what transpired. While he did apologize, Van Wagenen also shifted the focus to Mets owner Jeff Wilpon, saying instead that the idea to push back the first pitch was his and not the proposal of Manfred.

The statement, and the entire hot mic moment, is bizarre to say the least. Whether the sentiment expressed by Van Wagenen on the video or within the apology are more indicative of reality remains unclear, with the potential for a response from the commissioner’s office at some point in the future.

Hopefully, though, the messaging put forth by the Mets and Marlins will not be overtaken by the sideshow of what unfolded before they took, and then left, the field.

Conway The Machine was reportedly handcuffed but not arrested on Thursday by authorities in Buffalo following the funeral of DJ Shay. Authorities handcuffed the Griselda rapper, but according to HipHopDX, the rapper was released and never taken into custody. Instead, an associate of Conway The Machine was arrested and taken into custody.

The incident occurred following the funeral service of Griselda’s own DJ Shay, who passed away last week from coronavirus complications. A video of authorities handcuffing the rapper circulated on social media Thursday, though later reports said the Griselda rapper was not arrested.

Conway was preparing the release of his upcoming album, From King To A God. Earlier this month, the Buffalo rapper shared its first single, a Method Man-featured “Lemon.” Earlier this week, Conway shared the latest single from the album with “Fear Of God” featuring Dej Loaf. The album was initially slated for a September 11 release date with guest appearances from Erick Sermon, Freddie Gibbs, Havoc, Hit-Boy, Lloyd Banks, and more as well as expected appearances from his Griselda labelmates Benny The Butcher and Westside Gunn.

After the release of “Lemon,” Conway spoke on the upcoming album and his intentions behind it.

“With From King To A God, I wanted to show growth; how much I’ve grown as an artist and how much I’ve grown as a man. I wanted to showcase versatility and show people that I’m not a one trick pony. I feel like this album is not only arguably one of my best albums ever, but it is also the perfect appetizer to get my fans ready for my Shady Records debut God Don’t Make Mistakes.”

Laying DJ Shay to rest Thursday, Conway shared his thoughts on the late Griselda member in an Instagram post last week saying, “I’m so hurt right now idk how I’m gon pull thru unk, I been struggling all day trying to understand and grasp all this king.”

The first time I saw Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, I was in 9th grade history class and the substitute teacher that day, instead of working, just put on this movie that we watched over the course of two days. (What a great feeling it was to walk in and see there was a substitute. Nothing of substance ever happened. It usually resulted in watching some sort of video, or literally “do whatever you want as long as it’s quiet.”) So that’s how I was introduced to Bill and Ted, the way a movie is supposed to be watched: on an old square cathode ray tube television, wheeled in on a cart with a matching VCR, as the kids behind me shot spit wads at my head. (I really only distinctly remember two videos we watched on a substitute day. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and, a year later, some movie about Julius Caesar. The only reason I remember it is because at one point in the movie, as the citizens of Rome pelted the streets with rotten vegetables, the substitute teacher paused the movie, said to the class, “Look, Caesar salad,” and started the movie again as the class groaned. What made this even more of a dud joke was it was obvious he had done that line a few times before. But, on the other hand, I still remember this, so I don’t know what to think.)

The weird thing about Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and its 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (which I actually saw in a theater instead of waiting for the Blue Springs, Missouri public school system to show it to me), is that they feel such a part of that era. It’s difficult to imagine a third Bill & Ted movie coming out in this era, and especially now. There’s something so innocent about Bill Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted Logan (Keanu Reeves) that a part of me doesn’t even want to know what’s going on in their lives right now. At this point, I just assume it’s bad.

In other words: I can’t believe Bill & Ted Face the Music actually exists. (And when you listen to the filmmakers and actors involved, who have been trying to get this movie made for over a decade, it sounds like they can’t quite believe it either.) The thing is, it’s been so long since the last installment (29 years), this movie really could really have been anything. This could have easily been a “dark and gritty” Bill & Ted. Thankfully, it’s still just pretty much Bill and Ted from the other two movies, just now they are adults.

Bill and Ted, now married, each with a daughter (Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine) are both having midlife crisis moments. They experienced success as Wyld Stallyns, but nothing approaching the song to save humanity that was prophesized. And even the success they did experience is long gone, as Bill and Ted are relegated to playing Ted’s brother’s wedding, and doing a pretty bad job of that. After a visit with Kelly, a woman from the future (Kristen Schaal, playing the daughter of George Carlin’s Rufus from the first two films), Bill and Ted decide to go into the future to steal the song from their future selves. At the same time, their daughters go back in time to put together a band filled with some of the greatest musicians in history. This sets off a fairly madcap and tight (the film clocks in at just over 90 minutes) adventure as Bill and Ted keep having to chase their future selves. But like in the other two movies, Bill and Ted are both just so nice that it’s impossible not to start rooting for them.

Frankly, there’s not a whole lot to this movie, but if you’ve watched the other two installments lately, that’s kind of the charm. It would be kind of weird to all of a sudden switch to some mort of semi-serious, high concept movie all of a sudden (well, beyond time travel, the notion of literally fighting yourself, and saving humanity). I happened to rewatch Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure just a few days before Bill & Ted Face the Music and they feel a lot like the same movie. Which is both remarkable and, maybe, a little jarring to people expecting something a bit slicker. Which is why I’m curious what the reaction to this movie will be (as I sit here and write a reaction). I suspect fans of the original two movies will be pretty happy (at least those fans who have watched the originals lately and aren’t remembering on, maybe, faulty nostalgia) because this one incorporates a very similar tone and style. People watching this movie without seeing the other two (first of all … why?), something tells me they won’t know quite what to make of these two well-meaning, earnest nitwits who still use a lot of slang that was popular in the late 1980s. But, as someone who has seen the original two movies and thinks of them fondly (spit wads aside), I actually had a pretty great time watching this movie and couldn’t help thinking maybe we all could learn a thing or two about being earnest and nice from Bill and Ted.

‘Bill and Ted Face The Music’ will be available to stream via VOD on August 28th. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.