Category: Viral

The Rundown is a weekly column that highlights some of the biggest, weirdest, and most notable events of the week in entertainment. The number of items could vary, as could the subject matter. It will not always make a ton of sense. Some items might not even be about entertainment, to be honest, or from this week. The important thing is that it’s Friday, and we are here to have some fun.

ITEM NUMBER ONE — You’re looking for something to watch anyway

This is an excellent time to watch (or re-watch) Watchmen. To be fair, it’s kind of always a good time to watch Watchmen. What a terrific season of television that was. I’m not even a big comics guy. I’ve never read the original text the show was based on. I haven’t even seen the Watchmen movie. But man, did I ever enjoy that series. I would recommend it to anyone, any time, even if conditions in the real world weren’t making it extremely relevant, again, for like the third or fourth time since it aired, which was somehow less than a year ago.

But conditions in the real world are making it relevant. Again. The series takes a hard look at policing and race and gets to some interesting truths by addressing everything from an angle instead of head-on. There are messages about vigilante justice and government ineptitude and real-life historical events that some viewers might have just been learning about for the first time, and yes, this is a reference to the Black Wall Street massacre in Tulsa that opens the series, which was not entirely on my radar before the show even though I took multiple American history classes in college and paid attention in most of them. I’m not proud of this, but the educational system in the country should be substantially less proud.

To be clear, the show is also a blast. Just a joy to watch all the way through, with its serious messages occasionally punctuated with the silliest things you’ve ever seen, the proverbial spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. Jeremy Irons plays a madman on a country estate in the cosmos and chews up all the scenery out there in the best way possible. James Wolk, Bob Benson from Mad Men, uses the phrase “squid pro quo” in a context that both makes sense and is hilarious. Regina King plays a cop who is uncovering the corruption and evil plots and she drops about five or six emmeffers with such force and passion that it feels like maybe we should make a rule that she’s the only one allowed to say it.

It’s a good show! And again, this is a great time to watch it, whether it’s your first time through or your second or third. It’s a shame that it keeps being relevant like this, in a few ways, and if you see me on the street this weekend I will happily elaborate on my position that millions of tiny squid raining from the heavens out of nowhere is kind of like a global pandemic, but if we’re going to live through it over and over we might as well take our silver linings where we can get them.

For me, that means I get to write about Watchmen again. For you, it means you might get introduced to — or reacquainted with — the one and only Lube Man.

It’s not going to solve anything, not on its own. But does serve the dual purpose of facing some ugly issues with an interesting perspective and being an entertaining way to spend 8-10 hours, and I don’t know if you can ask for much more than that out of a television show. Watch Watchmen. Or rewatch Watchmen. Or watch and then rewatch Watchmen. Tell other people to do it, too. Don’t tell them about Lube Man, though. Let them discover that on their own.

ITEM NUMBER TWO — Bitcoin entrepreneur and former Mighty Ducks child actor Brock Pierce is running for President and has been endorsed by Bitcoin entrepreneur and R&B singer Akon, who is also building a $6 billion Bitcoin-funded city he named after himself

There’s a lot going on here. I can’t wait to tell you about some of it. But we need a foundation first, a place to build from. Let’s start with the basics. Brock Pierce is a former child actor who played the young Gordon Bombay in the flashback scenes of the Mighty Ducks movies. He is now an adult who identifies as a tech entrepreneur and “Bitcoin billionaire,” which is kind of funny just in general, but specifically when you Google him and see the hats he chooses to wear and the various characters with whom he chooses to associate himself. He got married in a unicorn-themed wedding at Burning Man and that is maybe the fourth weirdest thing you can discover about him in under 10 minutes of Googling.

Anyway, he’s running for president. Sure. Welcome to the future. His platform appears to be, and I’m admittedly generalizing a very little bit here, “because Bitcoin,” which is why it probably makes sense that he was endorsed by fellow Bitcoin entrepreneur Akon, the R&B singer best known for songs like “Locked Up” and “Smack That,” and who is also, according to news dot Bitcoin dot com, Pierce’s new campaign manager.

“Not only is Akon one of the most well-known artists globally, he is a successful global businessman and philanthropist,” Pierce, who announced his candidacy in July, said in a statement quoted by Cheddar. “I started my life as an artist so I have the utmost respect for culture and the arts — without it we are lost. His aspirations to be in politics, to be in civil service, and what he has accomplished in Africa and beyond will be valuable for our platform on a regional, national, and world-wide level.”

This story is already fabulous. Just so many things happening that don’t make sense on their own, let alone rolled up into one big chaotic ball with all the other things that are happening. I love it. And it brings me a great deal of pleasure to inform you that it gets even better. A few paragraphs lower in that news dot Bitcoin dot com story, this happens.

Pierce was also an inspiration for Akon to create his own cryptocurrency called akoin. This cryptocurrency will be used in Akon City, the futuristic city Akon is building in his home country of Senegal, Africa. Phase one of Akon City is expected to be completed by 2023 and the entire city is expected to be completed in 2029. Phase one will include a 5,000-bed hospital, homes, hotels, schools, police and fire stations, an airstrip, a mall, a waste facility, a solar power plant, and all the other hallmarks of modern-day cities.

Akon is helping a kid from Mighty Ducks run for president while building a $6 billion city called Akon City that he intends to bankroll with his own personal cryptocurrency, which is called akoin. This is the only political story I care about now.

ITEM NUMBER THREE — Finally, content for me

This is a video of Adam Sandler trying to teach his beloved dog Meatball to skateboard and Meatball failing in just the most charming ways possible, over and over, as Sandler cheers him on. It is so refreshing that I think it has hydrated my entire soul. I wish it lasted a full hour. I hope someone greenlights it as an entire show. The Meatball Show featuring Adam Sandler. I would watch and recap weekly.

Adam Sandler gets a lot of grief online, some of it justified, for making a bunch of movies that appear to be more “excuses to go to Hawaii with his friends” than they “artistic endeavors.” Which, fine, yes, sure. But he also appears to be just about the most normal, well-adjusted very famous person in Hollywood, and everyone who works with him comes back raving about what a sweetheart he is. He keeps his buddies employed and eating. He plays with his dog. He wears sweatpants and basketball shorts 350 days a year. Once a decade he tries really hard and reminds everyone he’s insanely talented. It’s a pretty good life. Maybe the Sandman has things figured out pretty well.

This tweet is still powerfully funny, though.

It says a lot about where my brain is at after six months of quarantine, but I… I would watch Fart Vacation? Yes. Yes, I would.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR — I will watch this movie

Two things worth noting right off the top:

• This is the video for “Gravel Pit” by Wu-Tang Clan, and I must insist you watch it before you continue reading, only because it is completely nuts and ends with a Tyrannosaurus rex eating an evil ninja, which is the second most Wu-Tang thing in the video, just behind Ghostface wearing head-to-toe white fur in a damn prehistoric rock quarry
• It is relevant here and now because RZA is working on a movie about the time Pharmabro Martin Shkreli paid $2 million to purchase the only copy of a Wu-Tang album.

Tell me everything, Collider.

[Brittany Runs a Marathon helmer Paul Downs] Colaizzo has already done his own pass on the script, which follows the auction for Wu-Tang Clan’s seventh studio album and its aftermath. Once Upon a Time in Shaolin was recorded in secret over a period of six years, and a single two-CD copy was pressed in 2014. It was stored in a secure vault in Morocco before selling to Shkreli for a reported $2 million the following year. In March 2018, a federal court seized control of the album following Shkreli’s conviction for securities fraud, which required him to forfeit millions of dollars in various assets.

I will, of course, watch this movie. As soon as it is made available to me. Earlier, if we want to break in and steal the completed copy from the studio before it hits theaters, which conveniently brings us to one of the best tweets ever written: the fake, Photoshop-produced clause in the contract that tricked half the world into thinking the Wu-Tang Clan was going to heist their record back, which is now what I want this movie to be about.

It’s kind of a bummer that the tweet is fake. Luckily, that bummer is softened a bit by this very real excerpt from the jury selection process at Shkreli’s trial. Please go read the whole thing, only after you’ve watched the “Gravel Pit” video, but start with this bit, which gets more beautiful with every sentence.

JUROR NO. 77: You’d have to convince me he was innocent rather than guilty.

THE COURT: I will excuse this juror. Hello, Juror Number 125.

JUROR NO. 125: I’ve read extensively about Martin’s shameful past and his ripping off sick people and it hits close to me. I have a mother with epilepsy, a grandmother with Alzheimer’s, and a brother with multiple sclerosis. I think somebody that’s dealt in those things deserves to go to jail.

THE COURT: Just to be clear, he’s not being charged with anything relating to the pricing of pharmaceuticals.

JUROR NO. 125: I understand that, but I already sense the man is guilty.

THE COURT: Well, I’m going to excuse you. Juror Number 144, tell us what you have heard.

JUROR NO. 144: I heard through the news of how the defendant changed the price of a pill by up-selling it. I heard he bought an album from the Wu-Tang Clan for a million dollars.

THE COURT: The question is, have you heard anything that would affect your ability to decide this case with an open mind. Can you do that?

JUROR NO. 144: I don’t think I can because he kind of looks like a dick.

THE COURT: You are Juror Number 144 and we will excuse you. Come forward, Juror Number 155.

JUROR NO. 155: I have read a lot of articles about the case. I think he is as guilty as they come.

THE COURT: Then I will excuse you from this case. Juror Number 10, please come forward.

JUROR NO. 10: The only thing I’d be impartial about is what prison this guy goes to.

I want to buy Juror 144 a lobster dinner.

ITEM NUMBER FIVE — Go sit under a tree and read a book this weekend

I’ve said it many times but I’ll say it again here: There is a lot going on right now. Too much. Look at this week alone: two hurricanes in the Gulf, wildfires in California, ongoing pandemic, increasingly ugly political campaigns, and massive unrest and uncertainty over the intersection of police and race, the last of which resulted in multiple NBA teams taking part in a wildcat strike during the NBA Playoffs. Any single one of those things is a lot, and the crazy thing is that the relentless chaos of the last six months has made a lot of us almost numb to the importance of them. Like, I know they’re important, very much, and I’m trying to be sure I keep telling myself that, but also, it’s kind of like we’ve all been living inside a rave since March — NEON LIGHTS! THUMPING MUSIC! IS THAT GUY PUKING INTO A SHOE? THUNKTHUNKBEEPTHUNK! — and any new stimuli are just getting swallowed up in the noise. Like tossing a bucket of water into the ocean.

It is understandable if you are very fried and very on edge, even if sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. My recommendation is for you to log the hell off and go sit under a tree with a book for a while this weekend. I don’t know where you live but I live in Eastern Pennsylvania and Sunday looks gorgeous. I’m going to grab an iced tea as big as my head and go sit in a park for like three hours with some beachy crime novel — I’ve been reading Donald Westlake’s Dortmunder series lately, which is all about a group of doofus criminals trying to steal stuff and watching their plan go to hell in a parade of goofs misadventure, and is very on-brand for me — and try to turn the noise in my head down to a low hum for a little.

Please consider doing the same, or something similar. This can’t be healthy for our brains, all of… everything. There’s a lot of stuff still worth addressing and stuff that badly needs dealing with, but I worry a lot of us are thisclose to becoming one of those lunatics you see online who are screaming at no one in particular in the produce section of a grocery store. Go outside. Put your phone in your pocket and leave it there. Drink some iced tea. Just for a little. Come back fresh and ready on Monday.

READER MAIL

If you have questions about television, movies, food, local news, weather, or whatever you want, shoot them to me on Twitter or at [email protected] (put “RUNDOWN” in the subject line). I am the first writer to ever answer reader mail in a column. Do not look up this last part.

From Don:

I remember seeing your batman/joker theory before and overthinking this then, but you reupped it so I figured I should ask you:

Which actor most defies your theory; is both a Batman AND a Joker, could pull off playing both characters, and why haven’t they yet come up with a movie where the same actor played both? I’d watch that movie twice.

I’m pretty sure it’s Rob Lowe. But I’ll hang up and listen to your thoughts.

Don is referring to this article from earlier in the week, in which I expanded on my long-held theory that every actor is either a Batman or a Joker. And he touches on something I forgot to mention in there. So it’s a very helpful email.

A Joker can play Batman, but a Batman can’t play Joker. Look at the actors I classified as Batmen: Will Smith, Chris Evans, Michael B. Jordan. Try to picture them as the Joker. Doesn’t work. But now look at the actors I identified as Jokers: Shia LeBeouf, Lakeith Stanfield, Tilda Swinton. They would be fascinating Batmen. I know this to be true because Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton have both played Batman in believable ways despite being Jokers deep in their soul. I can’t explain it beyond that. You’re either with me or you’re not. Either way is fine.

To answer the final question: It’s Jake Gyllenhaal. He has the Batman look and ability to play reserved characters, but is also a complete lunatic. I mean…

There is no doubt in my mind about this.

AND NOW, THE NEWS

To Fresno!

A Fresno man is in custody, accused of taking part in an elaborate scheme that involved the theft of $300,000 in pistachios from a Terra Bella farm and trying to sell them in Madera, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday.

PISTACHIO HEIST.

Detectives say that Bhavna Singh Sekon, 23, was part of a scheme that involved stealing the identity of a legitimate trucking company and taking possession of two tractor-trailer loads of pistachios valued at nearly $300,000.

WHAT WAS HE GOING TO DO WITH $300,000 WORTH OF PISTACHIOS

QUESTION MARK

QUESTION MARK

Tulare County detectives were called Aug. 14 to Setten Pistachio in Terra Bella, where they learned of the theft. Instead of delivering the nuts, the thieves took them to an abandoned property in Selma, where they were repackaged, and sold to an unwitting buyer in Madera County, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Ashley Schwarm.

This is… this is diabolical. The evidence would all just get eaten. And it’s all profit. The biggest hassle would be packaging all those pistachios. That seems like a lot of work. But still. Kind of a genius plan.

Which raises the question: How did these pistachio thieves get caught? It seems like they thought of everything.

The plan went bad because the trailers were equipped with GPS tracking devices, leading to the recovery of the pistachios and the trailers.

I like to picture one guy named like Larry or Fred watching a screen with the truck’s location on it, like a cross between old-timey military radar and how you can see your Uber moving on the little map on tour phone, and as it goes off course he turns around to face his supervisor — also named Larry or Fred, but he has a cigar — and says “Sir… I think we have a problem.”

I would watch this movie, too.

NBA 2K21 will be available next Friday, September 4, and we already have gotten word of the gameplay updates promised for the current-gen version, but on Friday, they dropped their latest trailer, this one showing what the MyCareer mode story will look like.

Your character, “Junior,” is the son of a hoops legend and goes from high school ball to one of 10 colleges that you can pick from –Michigan State, UConn, Florida, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, UCLA, Villanova, and West Virginia. As has become expected in 2K’s career mode, a number of actors make appearances in the story, including Jesse Williams, Dijmon Hounsou, Mirelle Enos, and Michael K. Williams, along with interactions with cover athletes Damian Lillard and Zion Williamson.

On top of the reveal of the career journey you take prior to the NBA, the trailer also reveals the new neighborhood: 2K Beach. It features all of the customary spots in the 2K Neighborhood, but with a SoCal beach vibe.

It’s nice to see 2K continuing to go with a more traditional storyline after years of preposterous, “you’re a DJ who now gets an NBA tryout after playing a game in a park tournament” type things, and they’re clearly leaning hard into the concept of balancing building your own legacy with that of your father. It’ll be interesting to see how all of this plays out and, hopefully, they keep up what they did in last year’s game which is a more brief opening story mode before you begin your NBA career, allowing you to get to it in the Association.

Matt Reeves’ presentation of The Batman teaser trailer generated plenty of excitement during the DC FanDome event, and it’s no wonder why that happened. Eager comic book fans got a sizeable preview of how Robert Pattinson is churning out a grounded, snarling, violent version of the character (which sits outside the DCEU) and how his Bruce Wayne moved from detective to masked vigilante. The trailer also gave audiences a look at Jeffrey Wright’s version of Commissioner Gordon and Zoe Kravitz’s take on the Catwoman (which both Lenny Kravitz and Jason Momoa absolutely loved). However, there was a whole lot of marveling at Colin Farrell’s appearance as The Penguin.

Let’s just say that if Ferrell hadn’t already been announced for The Penguin role ahead of the trailer, people would have no problem believing that Richard Kind was suddenly into comic book movies. Makeup artist Mike Marino even had to step in and confirm to the Internet that, yes, this is Farrell underneath a hefty dose of prosthetics. Well, Jeffrey Wright recently revealed on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show (via Comic Book) that he, too, did not recognize Farrell on set:

“I’ve worked with that makeup artist before and it’s just incredible. Colin walked on to set one day and I walked right passed him [laughs] I was like ‘ok, hey dude what’s happening, where’s Colin are we going to shoot.’ It was, it’s pretty remarkable.”

Also remarkable? Pattinson’s smoky eye makeup, which is being compared to The Crow, and the fact that fans have already (probably) solved The Riddler’s (Paul Dano) mysterious message. Oh, and it’s one hell of a turn of events to see The Batman being compared to Taxi Driver in the same way as 2019’s Joker. Warner Bros. sure is enjoying themselves while reinventing their approach to DC Comics movies, and hopefully, audiences will reap the benefits without another release date pushback.

The Batman arrives on October 1, 2021.

(Via The Jess Cagle Show & Comic Book)

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm and blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

This week, Giveon took the time to cover D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” Ty Dolla Sign tapped Nicki Minaj for his latest single “Expensive,” and Jazmine Sullivan made her return with “Lost One.” Check out the rest of the best new R&B music below.

Giveon — “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”

Giveon and Spotify teamed up for a two-piece set of songs this week and one of them is a cover to D’Angelo’s classic record “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” The track was recorded nearly twenty years ago at Electric Lady Studios and that’s exactly where Giveon recorded his rendition of the electrifying song. “Covering an R&B classic is the icing on the cake,” he said via statement. “Working on these two songs were a beautiful time for me.”

Ty Dolla Sign — “Expensive” Feat. Nicki Minaj

Ty Dolla Sign has been teasing his new song “Expensive” with Nicki Minaj all week and it’s finally here. As expected, Nicki’s verse doesn’t disappoint as she raps with opulence and bars at a level that only she can deliver. It sounds like Ty Dolla may have another summer hit on his hands.

Jazmine Sullivan — “Lost One”

Jazmine Sullivan has been a sorely missed vocal powerhouse in the R&B world and this week the singer has made her return with the heartbreaking ballad “Lost One.” It’s her first single in two years and is a perfect demonstration of her talent and ability to make listeners feel her words and emotions.

Toosii — “Love Cycle” Feat. Summer Walker

Toosii‘s “Love Cycle” just got that much sweeter with Summer Walker gracing her presence on the already viral Platinum Heart baby maker. “I want rich sex / I ain’t the type to be depressed / You don’t be givin’ me no stress, so I know where it’s at,” she affectionately tips off on the fan-favorite slow jam. Summer’s newly added vocals sounds as if this collaboration with Toosii was meant to be.

112 — “For Us”

Slim and Mike of 112 are gearing up to release their first project in years, 112 Forever, and this week they shared their latest release “For Us.” The pair don’t miss a step in the black-and-white visual for uptempo track, showing that they still got it.

Lonr. — “The End”

Grammy Award-winning R&B talent Lonr. is following up his impressive virtual BET Awards performance of “Make The Most” with the visual for his latest release “The End.” The song lives on his newly released project Land Of Nothing Real which features guest appearances from HER and XXL Freshman 24kGoldn.

Ian Isiah – “Princess Pouty”

New York’s own Ian Isiah is readying for the release of the AUNTIE project and recently shared a piece of what’s to come in the form of “Princess Pouty.” With the help of Chromeo, who did his thing on every track on the project, “Princess Pouty” is a disco-funk bop that leaves plenty of room to dance and enjoy the moment.

Rileyy Lanez – “Marry Me”

Rileyy Lanez comes through this week with the visual for “Marry Me” off her debut EP Beautiful Mistakes, which was released back in May. The music video highlights the trials and tribulations that true love will bring you through. It was directed by Erik Rojas in Rileyy’s hometown of New York City.

Jayla Darden — “Demonstration”

Jayla Darden has given her song “Demonstration” a chill visual treatment as a nod to the late ’90s and early ’00s with looks plainly inspired by TLC and the late Aaliyah. Last year, Jayla impressed with her EP Onto Something, with more to come.

K. Roosevelt — “All Night”

It’s been a minute since K. Roosevelt has released music but that all changed this week when he shared his latest release “All Night.” The song is fully produced and written by K. Roosevelt himself and carries heavy reggae vibes with a futuristic twist.

Ledisi — The Wild Card

Ledisi delivers classic rhythm and blues with her latest project The Wild Card. Filled with love and passion, Ledisi sings her heart out and takes her listeners on a sexual healing rollercoaster.

Tweet — “Neva Felt This Way”

Tweet illustrates feelings of a bubbling love with her newly released single “Neva Felt This Way.” Tweet takes the time to admire her lover’s presence with care and empathy.

Check out this week’s R&B picks, plus more on Uproxx’s Spotify playlist below.

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

It’s been a wild 48 hours around the NBA. It started with a stoppage of play on Wednesday just as teams were set to square off on a triple-header of Game 5s, when players staged an impromptu walk-off to protest the latest police shooting of an unarmed Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Jacob Blake, 29, has been left paralyzed from the waist down, per his father, after police officers shot him seven times as he was trying to enter his vehicle, with his three children in the backseat looking on. The Milwaukee Bucks were the first team to announce they would not play on Wednesday, and the rest of the teams quickly followed, throwing the remainder of the NBA season into doubt.

What followed was a string of meetings between the players, the players’ association, and the NBA Board of Governors, with the players hoping that their walk-out would force the owners to use their money and considerable influence to take tangible, concrete actions that would prompt social reform.

According to the newest reports, the players haven’t all been on the same page over the past couple days about how to move forward. The NBA isn’t a monolithic group, and despite their united front, first on pausing play and then on deciding to resume this weekend, there’s been frustration among their ranks about the lack of planning and foresight needed to proceed.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who has been reporting on the situation from inside the bubble in Orlando, published a report on Thursday giving a glimpse inside those meetings. He paints a picture of how LeBron, in particular, was apparently angry at the Bucks for making a unilateral decision that forced everyone else’s hands. But there was reportedly another tense moment involving Patrick Beverley and outgoing NBPA director Michele Roberts that caught the attention of many.

“Michele Roberts, the executive director of the players’ union, asked to have the floor to speak about the financial ramifications of leaving Orlando.

While she was going over the numbers, Clippers guard Patrick Beverley abruptly interrupted her, saying he disagreed with her logic, sources said. Roberts kindly reiterated that these were potential losses the players would suffer, and Beverley interrupted again.

Roberts asked politely if she could continue with her point, and Beverley responded, “No, I pay your salary,” sources said.

This caused an uproar with Paul, Haslem and others, who intervened and told Beverley that disrespect would not be tolerated, sources said.”

Without the full context, it’s easy to paint Beverley as rude or disrespectful here, especially given his well-established reputation as an on-court nuisance to anyone he’s tasked with defending and his penchant for trash talk. But this is one of those cases where Beverley probably deserves some benefit of the doubt without knowing exactly how that interaction played out. Beverley’s teammate Ivica Zubac called into question the legitimacy of the report on Twitter, insisting Beverley did not say that.

Clearly, the enormous financial implications of canceling the season played at least some part in the decision to resume play, and it is Roberts’ job to inform the players union of all of the potential ramifications of their actions so they have complete information to make a decision off of. Both Thursday and presumably Friday’s slate of playoff games will be rescheduled for some time in the near future as the league charts a path forward.

But since the Board of Governors meeting on Thursday, details about the owners’ action plan remains vague. In the wake of it all, the Rockets announced that they will retrofit the Toyota Center in Houston as a voting center for the 2020 presidential election, but there are still plenty of questions about what the long-terms fallout of this stoppage will be.

(Yahoo Sports)

In May 2000, Indie group Grandaddy released their second album, The Sophtware Slump. It was a critical hit that was acclaimed upon its release and continues to be looked back upon fondly today. 2020 marks the album’s 20th anniversary, and the group has done something special to celebrate it: Band leader Jason Lytle has recorded a new version of the album played on piano, appropriately titled The Sophtware Slump ….. On A Wooden Piano. Today, the group shared a video for the piano version of “Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground).”

Press materials liken the production of the original and new versions of the album to each other, nothing, “Jason Lytle made The Sophtware Slump while red-eyed and running around a sweltering slipshod home studio in his boxers using some gear he planned to return to Best Buy as soon as he was done. Two decades after making a DIY masterpiece, Lytle found himself recording those songs again as their own entity, sweating in his apartment (again) and trying to create a controlled environment while surrounded by chaos.”

The re-imagined album is set to arrive as part of a big rerelease of The Sophtware Slump, a 4-LP box set that comes out on November 20 via Dangerbird Records. A standalone LP and CD release of The Sophtware Slump ….. On A Wooden Piano will follow at some point in early 2021.

Watch the “Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground) (Piano Version)” video above, and check out the The Sophtware Slump ….. On A Wooden Piano art and tracklist below.

1. “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s The Pilot (Piano Version)”
2. “Hewlett’s Daughter (Piano Version)”
3. “Jed The Humanoid (Piano Version)”
4. “The Crystal Lake (Piano Version)”
5. “Chartsengrafs (Piano Version)”
6. “Underneath The Weeping Willow (Piano Version)”
7. “Broken Household Appliance National Forest (Piano Version)”
8. “Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground) (Piano Version)”
9. “E. Knievel Interlude (The Perils Of Keeping It Real) (Piano Version)”
10. “Miner At The Dial-A-View (Piano Version)”
11. “So You’ll Aim Toward The Sky (Piano Version)”

The Sophtware Slump 20th Anniversary Collection is out 11/20 via Dangerbird Records. Pre-order it here.

After securing a feature from 6lack on “Not Too Deep,” Los Angeles singer-songwriter India Shawn looks a little closer to home for her latest single, tapping Anderson .Paak for an ecstatic verse on “Movin’ On.” The song features stutter-stepping brass, soulful hand-claps, and a skittering drum line as Shawn sings about getting over a breakup.

Meanwhile, .Paak’s verse finds him reflecting on his own past mistakes. “Truth is, I’m running out of lies to tell,” he admits. “New chick after chick, I done lost count of excuses / ‘Bout, oh we can’t be exclusive.” If that sounds a little melancholy, it shouldn’t. The song is actually a hopeful declaration of independence, looking forward to the future and the next chance to get love right.

Although India Shawn may look a lot like a new artist, in truth, she’s a 10-year veteran of the industry, lending her pen to bigger artists behind the scenes and releasing her own EP, Origin, in 2012. After writing for Diddy’s Dirty Money collective, El Debarge, Keri Hilson, and Monica, India is ready to step out to center stage and stake her claim on some spotlight for herself.

Listen to India Shawn and Anderson .Paak’s ‘Movin’ On’ above.

Back in June, Jenny Slate, a White actress, announced that she would no longer voice Missy, a biracial character, on Netflix’s Big Mouth. “Black characters on an animated show should be played by Black people. I acknowledge how my original reasoning was flawed, that it existed as an example of white privilege and unjust allowances made within a system of societal white supremacy, and that in me playing ‘Missy,’ I was engaging in an act of erasure of Black people,” she wrote, while the show’s creators, all of whom are white, added that they would “recast a new Black actor to play her.”

Slate’s replacement has been found.

Ayo Edebiri will take over as Missy beginning with the penultimate episode of next season, Variety revealed (Slate will continue to voice her until then). “I was definitely a very uncomfortable child, so I think the show speaks to that and a lot of those feelings, which still resonate with me as an adult,” the actor, comedian, writer, and Iconography podcast host said about playing the Nathan Fillion-loving character. “I was a true dork. So I don’t think I have to go too far to connect with Missy,” as seen on Twitter.

Edebiri was already a part of Big Mouth before she got the role:

She booked the role just a few weeks ago and has already recorded her season four dialogue. She also joined the writers’ room of the show for the fifth season — a job she actually booked and began working first, given the schedule of breaking stories and penning scripts.

As for why she didn’t voice Missy for the entire fourth season, co creator Andrew Goldberg explained, “By the time we made the decision to cast Ayo, we had finished all of season four and delivered it to Netflix.” But the passing of the voice-acting baton, so to speak, comes from “a really organic and cool place.” Here’s more of Edebiri:

Big Mouth season four does not currently have a premiere date.

(Via Variety)

St. Vincent has been keen to re-imagine tracks from her latest album, 2017’s Masseduction. She dropped a remix album last year, and now she has linked up with X Japan’s Yoshiki for a new version of “New York,” which adds a distinct classical flair to the track.

St. Vincent said of the rework, “It was an honor to work with the amazing Yoshiki on this new version of ‘New York.’ Yoshiki’s arrangement added to the song in the way time or distance transform longtime friends or relationships: the original is still recognizable, but subtly and significantly altered.”

Yoshiki also noted, “As an artist, I admire how St. Vincent approaches music in an innovative and courageous way. Her music breaks the boundaries of genres, which is a mindset I can completely relate to. My band X Japan played the Coachella Festival in 2018 at the same time that St. Vincent performed, but at that time we didn’t meet. But this year, through mutual friends, we were introduced. In terms of ‘New York,’ it’s a great song to start with, and I’m grateful that she trusted me to fully rearrange the song with my classical approach. I hope St. Vincent’s fans enjoy it, and that my fans will too.”

Listen to the new version of “New York” above.

Hip-hop is moving as fast as ever. Luckily, we’re doing the work to put the best new rap music in one place for you. This week, there were videos from Octavian, Gunna, And Saint JHN, Nas, Lil Tecca, Princess Nokia, NLE Choppa, Fivio Foreign and DreamDoll, as well as Lil Keed. There were also new tracks from Cordae and Roddy Ricch, ASAP Ferg, Lil Wayne, and Jay Gwaupo, Conway and Dej Loaf, Jucee Froot, Guapdad 4000, Smino, and Thundercat, as well as Travis Scott. Here’s the best of the rest:

Bobby Sessions — “Reparations”

Bobby Sessions is speaking for millions on his “Reparations” single, where he demanded that Black people get there’s over smooth production: “Main goal, be self-sufficient, so if you with it, boss up.”

Doley Bernays — “A Week Straight” Feat. 03 Greedo

Doley Bernays paints a grim picture of the grind on “A Week Straight,” where he rhymes, “When you dealin in that same building that lil bro got killed in / nobody’s tryna learn, a body’s just a body.” 03 Greedo follows up with a fiery, melodic appearance.

Hotboii — “Don’t Need Time” Feat. Lil Baby

Lil Baby jumped on a remix of Hotboii’s “Don’t Need Time,” sounding tailor-made for the street confessional with reflections like, “I came home at the right time, it was perfect for me” over somber production.

Locksmith — “Blasphemy” Feat. KXNG CROOKED

Locksmith and Kxng Crooked are vying for lyrical supremacy on “Blasphemy,” where they trade assonant verses over slick chops of an Ohio Player’s sample popularized on N.W.A.’s ‘Dopeman.”

The Lox — Living Off Xperience

Rap legends The Lox released their Living Off Xperience album today, a project that shows that the trio is still firing on all cylinders after more than 20 years in the game. The gritty project also features guest appearances from Conway and Westside Gunn, Jeremih, T-Pain, and Ruff Ryder brethren DMX, who shows up on “Bout Sh*t.”

Lxst — “Upset”

20-year-old genre-bending artist Lxst is making a plea for love on “Upset,” a breezy, Jordan Knows-produced single where he rhymes the ever-relatable, “Tell me somethin’, I don’t wanna fall but I think that I should trust it.”

MC Eiht — “Honcho” Feat. Conway & DJ Premier

Conway got up with a pair of hip-hop legends on MC Eiht’s “Honcho,” a trip to the gun range where he and MC Eiht get as gruff as possible over Primo’s minimalist, sinister production.

Mike Will Made-It & Chief Keef — “Bang Bang”

Chief Keef paid homage to one of his iconic ad-libs on “Bang Bang,” a single from his and Mike-Will Made-It’s upcoming collaboration project. They paired the track with a dark video that merges horror and action.

Quando Rondo — Diary Of A Lost Child

This week, Quando Rondo released his 16-track Diary Of A Lost Child project, that’s as pensive and somber as it sounds. Quando shines on heartfelt tracks like “Dear Diary,” “Materialistic Pain,” and “Shooters & Movers.”

Radamiz — Synonyms Of Strength

Brooklyn’s Radamiz dropped off his Synonyms Of Strenght EP, a project that he’s been steadily crafting over the last couple of years. The seven tracks reflect that care, with impeccable lyricism laced with a slew of empowering, introspective jewels over lush production.

Rich Brian — 1999

Rich Brian is steadily growing as an artist and person, and that development is apparent throughout 1999, the reflective, melody-driven EP he dropped this week. The 7-track project is full of smooth, impeccably produced tracks that range from“Long Run” to the glossy “Love In My Pocket.”

Rich The Kid — “Too Blessed” Feat. Quavo, Takeoff

The DJ-Durel produced “Too Blessed” shows Rich The Kid praising the good life along with Takeoff and Quavo, who reminds everyone “the way that I move: chess.”

Smoove-L — “Chrome No Heart”

Brooklyn’s Smoove-L Is “[spazzin] on the beat like Mad Max” on “Chrome No Heart,” where he shows off his mastery of flow over a hypnotic soundscape.

TM88 Feat. Calboy — “War Stories”

Calboy delves into the pitfalls of the streets on “War Stories,” where he rides a gloomy TM88 beat and laments, “Mama on my ass she just want me to get a day job” instead of being in the streets.

Wifisfuneral — PAIN?

This week, Wifisfuneral dropped off PAIN?, his latest effort. The 14-track offering shows Wifisfuneral being at times pensive, down, and raunchy alongside guest artists Smoove-L, Coi Lerai, and Mariah Angeliq.

Xavier Wulf — “Trophy Boyz”

Xavier Wulf celebrates his Hollow Squad crew by deeming them the “Trophy Boyz” over Quintin Lamb’s quaking production. The two-minute track is primed to be a trunk rattler for the waning days of summer — and beyond.

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