Category: Viral

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Mandalorian.

The list of things we know about Season 2 of the Disney+ show The Mandalorian is short, but at least we know two key things: that it was able to wrap filming before quarantine began back in March and that it’s definitely hitting the streaming platform this fall. Beyond that, all we have our random clues about where the show may be heading.

The biggest of those clues is the fact that the de facto villain, Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon, wields the darksaber, which he used to get out of trouble in the final moments of Season 1’s last episode.

We’ve already seen Esposito tease some “major, major, epic, epic lightsaber action,” which is a lot of excitement, and for good reason: His lightsaber is the only one we’ve seen in the show itself thus far. And a new interview teases more details about the weapon’s place in Star Wars lore and its origin in the character’s story. In an interview with Deadline, Esposito suggested an “explanation” for how the weapon came into Gideon’s possession in what he described as a “collapsed world.”

“You’ll see more of the darksaber, you’ll get the explanation of this ancient weapon to the modern world, a collapsed world,” Esposito said today. “Where did this saber come from and how was it revived? It’s a key in our second season, which will be back sooner than later.”

Season 2 is expected to be back this fall, but, how soon is soon?

“(The saber) is a key to Moff Gideon’s past, which possibly has a lot to do with where he comes from and his desire to build a planet and bring it back together,” added Esposito.

The darksaber’s extensive history in Star Wars lore was one of the reasons why its appearance in Season 1 was such a delight, so knowing it will be a “key” to the upcoming season is very good news. That plot point will likely revolved around how Gideon ended up with the device in the first place, given that in the past it appears elsewhere, with other characters. Hearing quotes like this from Esposito doesn’t bring Season 2 any closer to our streaming devices, but it certainly gets fans excited about what’s to come.

Only 11 months after her album Lover, Taylor Swift surprised fans by dropping a quickly-made follow-up, Folklore. Recorded in the midst of her quarantine, the album’s quick arrival, she revealed in an Instagram post, could be credited to her gut “telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world.” In its first 24 hours the album surpassed a million global sales, enough to score it the No. 1 spot on the Billboard albums chart.

With 846,000 equivalent album units, the album’s success earns Swift her seventh consecutive No. 1 album. Of those units, 615,000 account for album sales and 218,000 for streaming equivalent units. By earning her seventh No. 1 album, Swift is now tied with Janet Jackson for the third-most no. 1 albums behind Barbra Streisand (with 11) and Madonna (with nine). The album also gives her the most No. 1 debuts among fellow female artists.

On top of all that, Folkore now holds the record for the biggest first week in 2020, surpassing the previous number set two weeks ago by Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die. Other accolades for Folklore in its first week include the biggest sales week for an album since Swift’s Lover, becoming 2020’s top-selling album, and making Swift the first act to have seven different albums sell 500,000 copies or more in a single week.

Elsewhere on the charts, Logic’s final album No Pressure comes in at No. 2 with 221,000 equivalent album units, giving the late rapper his seventh top-10 release. Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die pops in at No. 3 107,000 units sold. Pop Smoke’s Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon came in at No. 4 and original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical at No. 5.

Read our review of Taylor Swift’s Folklore here.

(via Billboard)

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

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a badass in the movies, but he’s increasingly building a reputation as a heroic “action star” in real life. Only, instead of dropping ungodly amounts of fake bullets into his enemies, Schwarzenegger has been dropping rhetorical bombs against his political opponents while building intellectual and emotional bridges to those who disagree with him but still have open hearts and minds.

The most recent example found Arnold responding to a comment someone made on Facebook. On the surface, that may sound like just about the least unique or original jumping off point for a story.

But so far as Arnold’s “critic” goes, I challenge you to find a better example of someone lashing out behind the safety of a keyboard. The anonymous commenter apparently doesn’t like Schwarzenegger chiming in on world events like the coronavirus or the president of Donald Trump, telling the former California governor: “Stick to lifting and making movies … Snowflake is a title you do not want.”

Now, there are all kinds of ways an 8-time Mr. Universe could respond to being called a “snowflake.” Simply put, Arnold’s response is brilliant, taking an attempt to go negative and reminding everyone of the power of positive, constructive political dialogue:

“I never mind picking up new titles. Mr. Universe, Mr. Olympia, Terminator, Governor… If you want to call me Snowflake, that’s fine – it would have been a fantastic Mr. Freeze line. But let me give you some advice. If you’re going to call someone a snowflake because they believe in a different policy than you, you might want to look in the mirror. When you see an idea you disagree with, you can get angry, or you can learn. I’d recommend you research and learn and grow. You can still disagree – that’s the best part about being American! But at least you can disagree with evidence and analysis. We can all be better if we don’t simply react. Pause, reflect, learn, and then decide if you still want to call someone a Snowflake. Good luck with everything.”

Oftentimes, the most powerful statements are simple, emotionally evocative and built around an airtight argument Honestly, it doesn’t matter what your politics, religion, values or agenda is, Arnold’s thinking applies to them all. When we believe in our ideas and have truly examined them, including our own motivations for latching on to them, we should be willing to engage in dialogue with those who have different points of view After all, our beliefs are not contingent on their support. And each party might just learn something along the way by talking it out … and listening.

Of course, this isn’t Arnold’s first rodeo in the “doing good” space of social media.

He has been trying to make a difference on social media like talking about the importance of wearing a mask since March when the coronavirus lockdown went into effect across most parts of the country.

He also responded to a fan who contacted him about being depressed, and had some wise words about why mental health trumps any flexing from time at the gym.

What Arnold is proving is that it is vital to think before we speak. Try to be informed about your opinions. When someone disagrees, try to see if they might have a point. Don’t try and be right. Try and get it right. That requires having an open mind. Whether you have believed something for five minutes or 40 years, it is important to be open to all ideas. This is how we grow.

He is also showing how to bring an errant and cavalier comment back down to earth rather than getting swept up in some frivolous emotional exchange. Arnold was the bigger person (I am assuming in more ways than one). And while he might not have changed the mind of the person he was responding to, if you read the comments, his words made an impact on others.

Walking the walk is contagious. It is much like that moment when you are behind a disadvantaged person in the checkout line at the grocery store, and they either forgot their wallet or can’t afford what they’re trying to buy but then someone steps up and offers to pay for them. You feel a little ashamed that you didn’t think of doing it first. The good news is that the next time that happens, you could be the one who steps forward and makes everyone in the line wish they had thought of it.

Another key lesson here is patience. Arnold didn’t take the bait. He didn’t give Mr. Keyboard Tough Guy the response he was hoping for, unless typing an insult to Arnold Schwarzenegger just made him feel empowered. And that would be sad, but I digress. Arnold is showing us the way we need to be communicating. It’s not rocket science but the basic tenets of civil discourse seem pretty rare these days, especially on social media.

The Internet is the ultimate marketplace of ideas. Instead of cancelling those we disagree with, maybe the best way forward is through open dialogue and transparency. The best ideas will win, the worst ideas will lose and everything in between can be discussed back and forth to find the best ideas from both sides. If that’s the role of Arnold’s third act in the public eye, we can’t wait for him to “be back” next time.

For the past few weeks, Tekashi 69 has been anticipating his freedom from house arrest. The Brooklyn rapper was released from jail back in April after a judge granted his request for an early release citing after Tekashi’s team expressed concerns over the rapper’s asthma and the coronavirus outbreak. After he was granted another request to begin shooting music videos in his backyard, Tekashi quickly got back to his troll ways with his first single, “Gooba.” The antics would continue with “Trollz,” which gave him first Billboard chart-topping single, and “Yaya.” Continuing to celebrate his newfound freedom, Tekashi returns once again with his new single, “Punani.”

The single arrives as the rapper is no longer on house arrest. Wasting no time in returning to the streets, “Punani” comes attached with a video that finds him happily and boldly walking the streets of Brooklyn supported by a huge entourage. Aiming to give off the look that they are untouchable, even more so thanks to Tekashi’s freedom, the video also presents Tekashi and his crew driving through the streets in Lamborghinis, sometimes with Tekashi sitting or standing on them as they speed through the city.

The new single arrives after Tekashi was reportedly seeking a court-ordered option that would allow him to see his 4-year-old daughter after it was reported back in January that his ex-girlfriend barred him from seeing his daughter due to safety concerns.

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Céspedes gave baseball fans cause for concern on Sunday when it was reported the Mets didn’t know where he was. The result is the outfielder abruptly opting out of the 2020 season as Major League Baseball’s abbreviated 2020 campaign grew further in doubt on Sunday.

Reports circulated early Sunday that Céspedes didn’t report to the Mets and team officials didn’t know where he was. No reason was given for his absense, but many were worried to the extent that a Ken Rosenthal report made later in the day attempted first and foremost to clear the air and say that Céspedes was not in danger.

Later, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen made it official and said Céspedes would not be back with the Mets in 2020.

It’s unclear why Céspedes had opted out initially, but Major League Baseball got more bad news on Sunday as more positive COVID-19 cases were reported in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. It’s the second major outbreak among MLB teams, as the Miami Marlins saw nearly half its active roster test positive, forcing a slew of postponed games and added measures to attempt to finish the season such as 7-inning doubleheaders later in the year.

As the NBA and WNBA have made their respective returns to the court in recent weeks, players have regularly used their interview and press conference time to continue shining a spotlight on issues of social justice and racism. Many are using their opening statements to continue calling for justice for Breonna Taylor, encourage people to vote, and more.

Coaches have gotten involved as well, and on Sunday one of the league’s most outspoken coaches over the years on issues of politics and social justice, Gregg Popovich, took his first question on Marco Belinelli’s status for their game against the Grizzlies and preceded his answer with a lengthy explanation of the deep-seeded history of voter suppression in the United States that targets the Black community and other minorities.

As Popovich notes, these are the types of history lessons that are rarely taught to Americans, as issues of voter suppression and racism are typically not focal points of American history courses. As such, Popovich feels that spotlighting these things are critical to making people confront how long this country has spent trying to disenfranchise Black and minority voters through things like literacy tests and poll taxes — with the modern day version happening in Florida right now with ex-felons being forced to pay all debts to the state before being allowed to vote.

As we move forward through sports restart, continuing to use these moments to keep the message about the importance of not stopping with the fight for justice at the forefront and using the time to present people with facts like these is a great way to utilize the platform they have and help disseminate information to people that might otherwise be unknown.

To the surprise of no one at all, Wiz Khalifa returned on 4/20 this year with his latest project, The Saga Of Wiz Khalifa. The project served as the follow-up to last year’s Fly Times, Vol.1: The Good Fly Young project. A highly-collaborative effort, The Saga Of Wiz Khalifa has Wiz working with the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, Qauvo, Mustard, Tyga, K Camp, and Logic. Giving his Mustard collaboration the full treatment, Wiz returns with the video for their “Bammer” track.

Posted by his house with his son Sebastian at the video’s start, Wiz Khalifa hits the road with the homies for his “Bammer” video. Dancing with his son and rolling one with his boys, Wiz opts for the good life when letting viewers know that he won’t accept any less than top quality when it comes to his greens. The visual also sees an appearance from fellow Taylor Gang member, Ty Dolla Sign.

In addition to the new music video, Wiz Khalifa also shared a new song in “Top Down.” The track, premiered exclusively by Datpiff, is produced by Harry Fraud and will appear on his upcoming mixtape, Big Pimpin. The song serves as his second release of the weekend, as he also joined Juicy J for “Gah Damn High.”

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

Earlier this year, Young Dolph made the surprising announcement that he was retiring from the music world, opting to spend more time with his family. His time away from the game did not last long, however, as he returned with a new single shortly after the announcement. His return to music was also paired with an album announcement, one that he teased to release in March. The time came and went and the Paper Route rapper’s album was nowhere to be found. Back with another announcement, though, Dolph returns with an update on said album.

Sharing the album’s cover art on Instagram, Young Dolph revealed its title to be Rich Slave and gave it a release date of August 14, promising “something special for my fans.” The upcoming release would be his first since his 2019 joint album with Key Glock, Dum And Dummer. The album is also led by “Blue Diamonds” and his Megan Thee Stallion collaboration “RNB.”

In addition to the new album, Young Dolph announced he would be giving away his Lamborghini Aventador to a lucky fan in a separate Instagram post. “Last week i walked in the garage to get on my 4wheeler and i looked at my Lambo and said to myself ‘Dolph u should give someone your aventador and let them enjoy it, u not doin nothin wit it,’” the caption read. “So yea, now I’m about to give one of my fans my Lamborghini in the middle of a pandemic/recession.” To enter the giveaway, all fans must do is pre-order his upcoming Rich Slave album.

Rich Slave is out 08/14 via Paper Route / EMPIRE. Pre-order it here.

The NBA, to this point, has been able to successfully get its bubble season started and get consecutive weeks without any positive tests in Orlando. However, they know there is a long way to go and they must continue being diligent to ensure the safety of players, staff, hotel and arena staff, and the season.

As such, with some players allowing themselves to be maybe a bit too comfortable in the bubble and forgetting to abide by protocols, the league issued a memo to teams to remind them to tell players they need to continue following safety protocols, most notably wearing masks or face coverings when in public spaces in the bubble.

This has apparently become enough of an issue that the league also reminded teams of the various punishments players could face for not wearing a mask, and that repeat offenders risk fines, suspensions, or even outright removal from the bubble if they are non-compliant, per Marc Stein of the New York Times.

There has been a growing list of NBA players that have revealed themselves to be conspiracy theorists with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, and while Adam Silver has deflected and said everyone is entitled to their opinion, he’s also made clear that to be a part of the league’s restart and bubble they must abide by the protocols put in place by health experts. As has been the issue around the country, the issue with being being violently against wearing a mask is that the mask is there to protect others, not one’s self, and by not wearing a mask they are impacting the health and well-being of those in their orbit who are trying to protect themselves and others.

Where states have had issues enforcing mask mandates, the NBA has a greater ability to do so in the bubble, and wants to remind players and teams of that. Hopefully this wakes players up and we see everyone, even those that take issue with masks, wearing them for the good of the league and, maybe more importantly to some, their wallets.

It would not be a stretch to label Big K.R.I.T. as one of hip-hop’s more overlooked and underrated rappers. The Mississippi native has plenty of achievements to be proud of including his 2011 XXL Freshman List inclusion, widely-celebrated albums and mixtapes, and success as an independent artist. Despite this, K.R.I.T. rarely receives his flowers from a mainstream point of view, something Waka Flocka Flame noticed and looked to correct on a recent episode of Drink Champs with DJ EFN and NORE.

“Yo K.R.I.T. is literally — of my generation — the most underrated rapper,” Waka Flocka said when the conversation turned to K.R.I.T. and his work. “And I’ma tell you, if I had to pick one artist to go against any artist, there’s not one n**ga in hip hop today that I can think about — young — that can out-rap Big K.R.I.T.” A bold statement, Waka Flocka would go on to explain his stance by drawing from the overall nature of K.R.I.T.’s catalog.

“With substance, title, understanding, a complete body of an album, K.R.I.T is the illest. Yo, if God asked me, ‘How do you wanna rap?’ I’d be like, ‘Let me rap like Big K.R.I.T. but put some entertainment, how to entertain with it.’ K.R.I.T. that n***a, yo. He one of the most powerful young n**gas, bro.”

Big K.R.I.T.’s last album arrived in 2019 with K.R.I.T. Iz Here, but he recently added his K.R.I.T. Wuz Here mixtape to streaming platforms with four new songs.