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Earlier in April, Fountains of Wayne bassist and songwriter Adam Schlesinger tragically passed away after complications caused by coronavirus. Following his death, Schlesinger was honored throughout the entertainment world. Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard said Schlesinger helped him “realize a life-long dream” before covering Fountains Of Wayne’s “Barbara H.” Earlier this week cast of That Thing You Do! said the 1996 film’s boy band The Wonders would reunite to honor Schlesinger, wrote the film’s theme song.

Taking a moment to honor the songwriter, Mark Ronson shared a six-minute tribute to Schlesinger on Instagram.

In the video, Ronson looked back at the work Schlesinger contributed to the world with a nearly 7-minute DJ set backed by music from Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Dolly Parton, Prince, Aerosmith, Rakim, Three 6 Mafia, Lady Gaga and more. In addition to words from Rachel Bloom, co-creator and star of My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Ronson shared his own thoughts on Schlesinger in the video’s caption.

Schlesinger wrote one of the most memorable, beloved pop songs from any film of modern times, “That Thing You Do”—a jangly ear worm that has made its way into the canon. He was also beyond versatile—starting off in acclaimed indie band Fountains of Wayne and ending up as composer for the brilliant and adored TV comedy-musical “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”… Adam passed away from CV earlier this month but MUSIC LIVES FOREVER. so thank you for the music

It’s clear Schlesinger had a significant impact on a lot of musicians, so these tributes are likely to continue as the music world mourns his tragic loss.

Passing by the three-year anniversary of Run The Jewels 3 this past December, Run The Jewels have been more than ready to share the fourth installment in the series, but a number of factors have stopped them from doing so just yet. In February, El-P revealed that the album was finished but Run The Jewels counterpart Killer Mike wanted to make some changes.

As the coronavirus pandemic began to make its impact across the music industry, El-P hoped that the album would not be delayed, but by the end of March the rapper told fans he was unsure of a release date for Run The Jewels 4. Entering a new month without Run The Jewels 4, April has presented a new problem for the duo: clearing samples.

Taking to Twitter to voice a bit of frustration, El-P tweeted, “pro tip: sample clearance can really be hell.” Sensing that this issue may affect Run The Jewels 4, a fan replied saying, “Might this affect the tracklisting for RTJ4?” to which El-P replied back “and now you know why we haven’t posted the release date [shoulder-shrug emoji]. one. damn. song.”

Last month, Run The Jewels shared two singles, “The Yankee And The Brave” and “Ooh La La” with the latter sporting guest appearances from DJ Premier and Greg Nice. Hopefully the sample clearance issue can be resolved rather quickly to take the next step toward the album’s release.

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During a special quarantine-themed live stream of People’s Party With Talib Kweli, the BKMC hit Instagram Live with co-host Jasmin Leigh streaming in via video call to have a one-of-a-kind interview with Wu-Tang founder and hip-hop pioneer RZA. Over the course of the hour-long conversation, the two Brooklynites talked celebrating hip-hop history via Swizz Beats’ Verzuz “battles,” RZA’s top five kung-fu movies, veganism, and more.

Among the “top five essential kung-fu movies any Wu-Tang fan must have seen,” RZA selects Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang, 36 Chambers Of Shaolin, Five Deadly Venoms, 8th Diagram Pole Fighter, and Kid With The Golden Arm. RZA also reveals how he learned chess, how the Wu-Tang Clan ended up dominating a list of the best rappers (based on unique words) in hip-hop, and why competition can lead to stagnation. In another segment, RZA explains Five Percenter philosophy as it relates to the Hulu show Wu-Tang: An American Saga and why the show didn’t have enough time to explain the importance of the movement to the Wu-Tang Clan’s members.

Watch the full interview above and stay tuned for more.

People’s Party is a weekly interview show hosted by Talib Kweli with big-name guests exploring hip-hop, culture, and politics. Subscribe via Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.

Those of us who desperately want something to watch that isn’t re-runs of whatever Netflix show we stumble onto are in for a treat this weekend. ESPN’s The Last Dance, a 10-part documentary that takes a look at the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls, begins, with the first two chapters airing on Sunday evening at 9 and 10 p.m. EST.

Considering the fact that fans are captivated by that team — Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson’s last squad as members of the franchise — and the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has canceled sports and kept people worldwide locked at home, it’s not a stretch to say this is as highly-anticipated of an event that the basketball world has experienced in some time. It’s something that goes beyond hoops, as that Bulls squad was a cultural phenomenon, led by one of the most famous athletes to ever walk the earth.

On top of all of this, prop bets exist for the first episode of the series, which should surprise no one, because there is nothing to wager on right now outside of Belarusian soccer. These odds come via SportsBetting.ag, and only apply to the show’s opening hour.

Will “The Last Dance” documentary win an Emmy Award in 2020?
Yes +300
No -500

Will Michael Jordan cry?
Yes -120
No -120

Will LeBron James be seen?
Yes -120
No -120

Will Kobe Bryant be seen?
Yes -300
No +200

Will “gambling” be said?
Yes -200
No +150

Will “Space Jam” be said or clip shown?
Yes -120
No -120

Will “Sirius” song be heard?
Yes -500
No +300

When will Air Jordan logo be seen?
Before 10 minutes (+150)
After 10 minutes (-200)

Will Jordan’s game-winning national championship shot be shown?
Yes -300
No +200

Will impeachment trial of Bill Clinton be shown or mentioned?
Yes -140
No +100

Will Yankees World Series Championship be shown or mentioned?
Yes +100
No -140

Will Barack Obama tweet about the documentary?
Yes +200
No -300

First person to be shown?
Phil Jackson +300
Scottie Pippen +350
Kobe Bryant +400
Magic Johnson +500
Dennis Rodman +500
Deloris Jordan +800
Barack Obama +1000
Steve Kerr +1000
Bob Costas +1200
Charles Barkley +1400
Justin Timberlake +1400
Jerry Seinfeld +2000
Pat Riley +2000
Adam Silver +2500

Per an email, all of these apply for the hour in which the episode occurs, while the “First person to be shown” bet does not include Jordan. The most interesting wagers, in my opinion, are +300 that this will win an Emmy, and seeing how Obama appears in it, putting him at +200 to tweet about it seems like it could be free money. But of course, we will not know for sure until the first episode airs on Sunday evening.

In the no-brainer to end all no-brainers, Oregon standout Sabrina Ionescu went No. 1 overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft on Friday night. One of the greatest college basketball players ever, Ionescu had a decorated career with the Ducks and will now serve as the face of the New York Liberty’s youth movement.

While it was hardly a surprise that she went No. 1, it was still a gigantic evening for Ionescu, even beyond all the obvious reasons why this is such a big deal. Ionescu famously viewed the late Kobe Bryant as a mentor, while the soon-to-be Hall of Fame inductee cherished their friendship. During the early hours of Saturday morning, Ionescu posted a picture of herself with Bryant, saying that while there is “more work to do,” she know’s he’s “looking down on me smiling.”

Back on Jan. 16, Bryant praised Ionescu on Twitter following a 37-point outburst against Stanford that made her Oregon’s all-time leading scorer, while Ionescu spoke at Bryant’s memorial service at Staples Center in February.

Beyond Ionescu, Friday was a franchise-altering evening for the Liberty, which had six picks in the draft, including a trio of first-round selections. New York used the No. 9 pick in the first round to select Megan Walker, a small forward from UConn, then gave Ionescu a backcourt partner with the round’s final selection in Louisville guard Jazmine Jones. The Liberty weren’t the only team Ionescu joined on Friday, as it was announced that she signed a sneaker deal with Nike.

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“My favorite television show of all-time is still on the air, but it’s not my favorite current show.” It’s a riddle I like to ask friends, strangers, post office workers, fast food employees who just want to know if I would like medium or large fries with my burger, please, sir, there’s a line forming. After they all look back at me with a mix of confusion and annoyance, I answer, “It’s The Simpsons. The Simpsons is my favorite show ever, but even though it’s still on, my favorite show at the moment is Better Call Saul.”

This, I imagine, is a familiar refrain (give or take the Better Call Saul thing) for many fans of the long-running animated series, which premiered in December 1989 and has been on for 679 episodes. To say “The Simpsons isn’t as good as it used to be” has become a cliché. Of course, there’s usually some truth in every cliché, and that’s the case here. The Simpsons ISN’T as good as it used to be, but that’s because in its prime, it was working at a level of comedy and characterization that no show ever has, and it did it for approximately 10 seasons (or however long you consider the “golden age” to be). Besides, waving off the current-day The Simpsons is not only dismissive, it’s also wrong.

I’m not going to say The Simpsons is still consistently great TV, although it’s capable of great episodes (we’ll get there), but there are many reasons to still watch. Here are five.

1. It’s willing to experiment

Sometimes those experiments don’t work, like the infamous Moe’s rag episode or when the Simpsons went to Rigel 7 in a non-Treehouse of Horror episode (the AV Club recap is brutal). But handing off the couch gags to animators like Don Hertzfeldt and Sylvain Chomet was a stroke of genius, and showrunner Al Jean & Co. have allowed outside talent to write episodes, including Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (season 21’s “Homer the Whopper”), Megan Amram (season 30’s “Bart vs. Itchy & Scratchy” and “Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion”), and upcoming episodes from Round Springfield podcast host Julia Prescott and comedian Pete Holmes. Anything to shake things up. The Simpsons can’t help or hurt its legacy at this point — it should (to quote Mr. Holmes) make it weird.

2. “Wait, what happened to Milhouse?”

If you stopped bothering with The Simpsons after, let’s say, season 12, you’re missing a lot. For instance, did you know Horatio McCallister, better known as the Sea Captain, had a wife and they were both treasure hunters? Or that Hans Moleman used to be the mayor of Springfield? Or that Sideshow Bob used the “Face-Off Machine” to swap faces with another inmate at Springfield Penitentiary? One very specific joy of still watching the show is knowing all that’s happened to the plethora of side characters — the ones who put the spring in Springfield, so to speak — since millions of others tuned out. It’s a robust and ever-evolving canon. Artie Ziff married a robot Marge; Patty Bouvier is fluent in both Dothraki and parseltongue; Comic Book Guy (Jeff Albertson) is married to a Japanese woman named Kumiko Nakamura; Cookie Kwan is still number one on the west side, but she also had a baby with Mayor Quimby. Find yourself someone who still watches The Simpsons, and you’ll find yourself the winner of Simpsons trivia.

3. It’s still capable of very good-to-great episodes

It’s from a few years ago, but season 27’s “Halloween of Horror” ranks among the best post-season eight episodes. Season 25’s “Brick Like Me,” where the characters appear in Lego form, is another highlight, as is “Steal This Episode.” There’s nothing this season, the show’s 31st, that belongs on any must-watch list (so far), but “Livin La Pura Vida” (the Simpsons go to Costa Rica!) and “Thanksgiving of Horror,” a Treehouse of Horror-inspired spin on Turkey Day, are both pretty fun. Point is, The Simpsons is still capable of quality television, and even the occasional new classic.

4. The comfort factor

Growing up, Sunday night at 8 p.m. EST was both my favorite and least favorite time of the week. Favorite, because it meant a new episode of The Simpsons (assuming the late NFL game on Fox didn’t run over; no wonder I still hate the Cowboys). Least favorite, because I had school the next day. I no longer watch The Simpsons live (lol, imagine watching anything live), but I’m still ever-aware of when the clock hits 8 p.m. on a Sunday, even though I’m now in a different timezone. It’s comforting knowing that The Simpsons has had the same timeslot since 1994, and it will be extremely weird when another show eventually takes it. When The Simpsons is over, Fox should retire Sunday at 8 p.m. the way teams do jerseys when a Hall of Fame-caliber athlete calls it a career.

5.

You’ve made it this far. Why not see The Simpsons until the end? Whenever that is. Honestly, I hope it’s on for 40, hell, even 50 seasons. Come on, why not?

It can be awfully hard to remember that Emoni Bates is 16. People his age are not supposed to be as good at basketball as he is — the Michigan native is already being hyped up as potentially the best high school basketball prospect since LeBron James despite the fact that he’s only a sophomore.

Bates does have something on James, and Kobe Bryant, and every other boys high school basketball player ever. Earlier this week, the Lincoln High School standout became the first sophomore to ever win the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year Award, beating out a pair of college-bound recruits in Oklahoma State commit Cade Cunningham and USC commit Evan Mobley. Per 247Sports’ Composite ratings, Cunningham and Mobley are the Nos. 1 and 2 recruits, respectively, in the class of 2020.

While Bates, the No. 1 player in the class of 2022, doesn’t know Mobley, he is friendly with Cunningham — they spoke on Monday, one day before Bates learned he won the award — and is a big fan of his game.

“Cade’s definitely a really good basketball player,” Bates tole Dime over the phone. “I like how he can play the game as a point guard, especially at his height, the real definition of a true point guard, he makes his teammates better.”

Cunningham is one of the favorites to go No. 1 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, something that can also be said for Mobley. And yet a high school sophomore managed to beat both of them out, the latest example of how Bates could end up being the sort of generational prospect who forces NBA teams to consider — Adam Silver, please do not read the next few words — tanking in an effort to acquire his services as a potential franchise cornerstone.

It is, of course, completely absurd to talk about a teenager who has two more years of high school ball ahead of him this way. Bates is so young that when I asked what he is looking for in schools as he goes through the recruitment process, he swears he hasn’t thought that far ahead yet. His mind is on the now, and the things he needs to work on to make his dreams of being the best basketball player he can be become a reality.

The thing with Bates is that he has all the talent in the world, and even at such a young age, that talent is able to manifest itself in impressive ways. Even beyond winning perhaps the top individual award a high school basketball player can win, Bates is capable of doing things like going for 63 points and 21 rebounds in a single game, so while everyone can improve as an athlete at such a young age, he is already remarkably good at playing the game. In fact, while Bates made it a point to emphasize that he thought he progressed as a player who can impact games by doing more than just scoring this past season, he believes his biggest step forward was becoming a better leader by filling a void left by a handful of seniors who graduated.

His next step is making everyone around him better. He cited “getting his teammates the ball” as the element of Cunningham’s game that he most wants to fold into his own, and when asked about his favorite player to watch in the NBA, he opted for Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant, citing the mindset the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft brings whenever he steps on the floor.

“He doesn’t fear anybody, and he’s a rookie, and he came in and showed me a lot, especially being one of the youngest guys in the NBA,” Bates said. “He’s a real leader on the court, he knows how to make his teammates better and he plays with energy.”

This doesn’t mean he won’t try to refine other elements of his game. In the call where he learned he won the award, former Gatorade Boys National Player of the Year winner and current Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum stressed the importance of continuing to work. As such, Bates knows he has to spend as much time as possible in the gym. This is where his other favorite basketball player to watch comes in, and funny enough, it’s the guy whose game Bates’ is most frequently compared: Kevin Durant.

“I pay attention to how he makes the game look,” Bates said, referencing the way Durant can something as difficult as playing professional basketball seem so effortless.

Time will tell if Bates can get to that point. He’s quite the player, but by nature of how much harder being a professional is than being even the most promising of high schoolers, there’s a gap between where he is and where guys like Durant, Morant, and Tatum are. The good news for Bates, though, is that he’s at a point that none of them were at when they were 16, and with his mix of skill, drive, and lofty aspirations, he has what it takes to enter rarified air some day.