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After months of promotion, apprehension, speculation, and debate, Hulu’s remake of White Men Can’t Jump was released on Friday, bringing director Calmatic’s interpretation of a 30-year-old classic to living rooms across the country.

A lot of the discussion revolved around the film’s star, Jack Harlow, in his first-ever movie role, which required him to do double duty as a fast-talking, hot-shooting former D1 player who teams up with Sinqua Walls to hustle enough 2-on-2 pickup games to enter a tournament for a quarter-million-dollar grand prize

Is it “as good as the original?” Honestly, who the hell cares? We’ve got bigger fish to fry. Namely, the biggest question I had going into the movie: is Jack Harlow a better rapper, actor, or basketball player?

We’re going to break down his performance in the movie along with a few of his accumulated basketball moments from the past few years to determine if the kid’s got a future or if he should stick to his day job. So, what’s really popping?

Jack Harlow, The Rapper

The version of Jack with whom the audience is most familiar, this is also the longest-running version of the Louisville native — at least, in the public eye (more on that later). After exploding into the upper echelons of rap in 2020 with “What’s Poppin?” Harlow rapidly set about establishing his standing as more of a hitmaker. However, he built his early career on a reputation of being a masterful technician. And while Come Home The Kids Miss You struck some fans as a bit of a sellout, which restored his reputation a few weeks ago with Jackman, his third album under Atlantic/Generation Now.

Harlow’s genuinely respected as a rapper, holding his own alongside his idol Eminem and another young bars specialist, Cordae, on the remix of Em’s “Killer.” He’s consistently proven that he can wrangle any aspect of the craft, from punchline-driven battle rap (“They Don’t Love It” from Jackman) to emotive storytelling (“Gang Gang Gang”) to more conceptual tracks like “Common Ground” and “Questions.” He’s a, well, Jack-of-all-trades on the mic, with the patience and dedication to execute heady material and the charm to make hits like “First Class.”

Jack Harlow, The Actor

This is the version of Jack we know the least about. We’re just getting familiar with Jack Harlow as an actor, between his recent roles in White Men Can’t Jump and last week’s episode of Dave (and his Doritos commercial with Missy Elliott, if you want to get really technical). We’ll definitely have more chances to get acquainted soon enough, though. He’s already secured his second role acting across from Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in their upcoming film project on Apple TV+ so get used to seeing those curls on the screen for at least a little longer.

Now, as far as his performance in White Men Can’t Jump goes… Look, it’s unfair to compare him to Woody Harrelson in the original, but people are going to do it anyway. Jack certainly embodies the oddball you’d slinging his homemade juice cleanses in the Erewhon parking lot, but his Jeremy is a little less intense than Woody’s Billy Hoyle. With that said, he’s magnetic as long as he’s on the screen, with excellent comedic timing and even does a little emotional lifting.

Jack Harlow, The Basketball Player

Back when I interviewed Jack in 2021 ahead of the Bleacher Report Open Run 2-on-2 with Quavo, 2 Chainz, and Lil Baby, I scrolled all the way back to the beginning of his Instagram in search of basketball-related posts to ask about and my patience was rewarded. Before he ever garnered a national audience for his rap career, he was playing in local pickup games in Lousiville — skills that have translated to impressive performances at the Open Run and in 2022’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, where he hit a pair of four-pointers and an awkward-looking layup on the break.

At a special screening of White Men Can’t Jump at the Grammy Museum in LA on Friday, the film’s director Calmatic revealed that a basketball trainer accompanied Harlow on tour to ensure that he would look like he could have played at Gonzaga — his character’s alma mater — for real. The training clearly paid off; Jack’s execution looks much smoother (there’s a smooth left-hand reverse that I know a lot of guys can’t pull off) and his shot form is obviously improved. Fortunately, his character’s role in the film is more of a facilitator, allowing Sinqua Walls’ Kamal to shine as the clear focal point of the team’s offense. Jack looks good as a hooper but like his character, there’s little chance he’s going to the G-League anytime soon.

The Verdict

For what it’s worth, the last time I did one of these rapper-turned-actor-in-a-basketball-movie reviews (for Pop Smoke’s performance in Eddie Huang’s Boogie) it was very clear that the subject in question had a lot of help from the editing room. It’s clear from my Friday viewing of White Men that Jack needed way less Hollywood magic to look like a serviceable player, while he proved every bit as confident and competent with his role. However, as both a basketball player and co-star, he’s very much the Pippen to Walls’ Jordan.

When he raps, it’s clear that he’s the star of the show, no matter who else is on the track with him. He’s rarely been outshined, and he’s proven to be equally adept at every necessary facet of the game. He’s definitely a better rapper than anything else.

That doesn’t mean he should hang up his jersey anytime soon; I’d love to see his new-and-improved game in another Open Run-style event — or even at the Crew League this summer.

Meanwhile, I have no reservations about checking out his future film roles. If he manages to improve his acting game the way he’s stepped up as a rapper and a hooper, he’ll be a legitimate entertainment triple threat for the foreseeable future.

White Men Can’t Jump is now streaming on Hulu. Jackman is out now on Generation Now/Atlantic.

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

After delivering a haunting episode filled with powerhouse performances by Kieran Culkin, and surprisingly, James Cromwell, the Succession series finale is now less than a week away. When it arrives, it will be the longest episode ever for the prestige series that has already seen its runtime stretch past the hour mark in its fourth and final season.

Clocking in at 90 minutes, the Succession series finale will play like a feature film when it arrives on Memorial Day weekend, according to the show’s composer Nicholas Brittell.

“It’s 90 minutes,” Britell told Variety. “It’s a huge episode — like a movie.”

Of course, Succession fans will be used to the runtime after the penultimate episode, which clocked in at 1 hour and 21 minutes and practically breezed by thanks to the taut wheeling and dealings happening amidst the funeral for family patriarch Logan Roy.

As for why the series is ending after just four seasons, the answer is simple: Creator Jesse Armstrong wanted to “go out strong.”

“I went into the writing room for Season 4 sort of saying, ‘I think this is what we’re doing, but let’s also keep it open,’” Armstrong told The New Yorker ahead of the Season 4 premiere. “I like operating the writing room by coming in with a sort of proposition, and then being genuinely open to alternative ways of going. And the decision to end solidified through the writing and even when we started filming: I said to the cast, ‘I’m not a hundred per cent sure, but I think this is it.’ Because I didn’t want to bullsh*t them, either.”

The Succession series finale airs May 28 on HBO.

(Via Variety)

Over the course of the last four years, Lil Nas X has proven to be one of music’s top trolls — in a good way — with a sense of humor that allows him to rankle chronically unhip conservatives while deflecting any criticism thrown his way. However, he might have met his match on The Eric Andre Show, where the comedian thrives on pranking guests with outlandish stunts and absurdist humor.

In a preview from the upcoming June 4th season six premiere, Andre sits down with Lil Nas X for an “interview” that leaves the young rapper speechless for what might be the first time in his career. After being introduced, Nas is menaced by Andre’s desk with a classic gag from Nightmare On Elm Street, then shocked by Andre’s new sidekick/co-host Felipe Esparza, who chops through a background, The Shining-style, with a gleefully unhinged “Here’s Felipe!” Oh and apparently Andre’s mic now sprays sleeping gas. It’s a lot.

The upcoming sixth season of The Eric Andre Show will feature guests like Blac Chyna, Cypress Hill, Diplo, Jaleel White, Jon Hamm, Lil Yachty, Meagan Good, Natasha Lyonne, Rico Nasty, and Tinashe. Diplo gets kicked in the nuts. It’ll be a good time.

Watch Lil Nas X’s interview with Eric Andre above.

There are some things in life that you simply can’t prepare for. You know they exist and there’s a possibility it could happen to you or someone you love but experiencing it is terrifyingly outside of the imagination. Cancer is a big one that touches nearly everyone in some way, yet it’s a hard diagnosis to swallow.

Hank Green, most famed for his co-hosting duties on Mental Floss and Vlogbrothers where he co-hosts with his older brother, John Green. Recently Green announced on the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after noticing swollen lymph nodes under his arm and near his chest. Thankfully, his doctor decided to do a precautionary ultrasound, which prompted the biopsy and subsequent diagnosis.

Green is known for his witty humorous delivery of facts. The truth is, he’s so known for his intellect and delivery that he’s had to tell people to stop tagging him under actual rocket scientists and doctors explanatory videos. So it’s no surprise to the people who have followed him for years that he delivered the news of his diagnosis in a very Hank Green cerebral way.

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It was Green’s encounter with the woman who schedules biopsies that set his alarm bells off. The scheduler joked about the YouTube personality hand delivering the referral due to his procrastination to schedule the surgery.

“No, the surgery is tomorrow, and she was like, ‘oh procrastinator,’ and I was like, no it just got scheduled just now,” Green recalled.

He said immediately her eyes changed and things moved very efficiently, which he joked that having experienced the American health care system, efficiency is scary. Which tracks. When appointments and doctors start moving quickly and communicating effectively with each other and the patient, that’s usually a sign that there’s something seriously wrong. It shouldn’t be, but it’s sort of how we have come to know the American health care system to be.

While this is extremely upsetting news for the author, it wouldn’t be Hank Green without dropping easily digestible information on the type of cancer he has and a piece of medical trivia. Green explained that the cancer he is diagnosed with responds well to treatment and has a high rate of survival. He went into the chemo process and what to expect as well as laying out statistics.

“I just feel very grateful to all of the people who have spent their careers studying disease, and cancer and lymphoma and Hodgkin’s specifically,” Green says before excitedly continuing. “Which, if you can believe this, was originally thought to be a form of Tuberculosis when it was first discovered in the early 1900s. It’s not, but they thought it was.”

Green closes the video by asking people to leave him movie, television show and video game recommendations that are up lifting. We’re all wishing Green well and if you have any recommendations he can watch during his treatments, leave them under the original video linked below.

Most of the headlines with Leonardo DiCaprio‘s name in them over the last couple of days are about his career-best performance in Martin Scorsese’s new film, Killers of the Flower Moon. But not all of them!

The Daily Mail reports that Australian model and influencer Steph Claire Smith discussed the time she ghosted DiCaprio on the KICPOD podcast. “I was dancing on my own for most of the night, and I noticed someone looking at me and I realized this guy is wearing one of those hats, like those English hats and I was like, he kinda looks like Leonardo DiCaprio,” Smith, who was 19 years old at the time, said. “Then my friend came over and was like, ‘Steph, apparently Leonardo DiCaprio is here,’ and I was like, wow, it is him!”

Smith went to another club, where she saw DiCaprio again. “This person that was with him weaved themselves through the crowd,” she said, “and was like, ‘Do you want to meet Leo?’ Abso-f*cking-lutely I do! So we went over, he did the whole French double kiss on the cheek.” DiCaprio asked, “Can I grab your number, I would love to take you out for dinner to some of the nicest restaurants around here.” What a gentleman. Only the finest raw bison liver for his dates. They exchanged numbers, and the actor texted, “This is Leo, this is the number you can contact me on.” But Smith never replied.

“I’m sorry can we just drill down on the fact that you left Leonardo DiCaprio on read?” the show’s producer Mandy chimed in.

“I’m the one that got away, I don’t know what to say,” she joked, adding that she’d already begun dating her now-husband, Josh Miller, and was happily in love.

Smith should consider herself lucky. She didn’t have to hear DiCaprio talk in his Killers of the Flower Moon accent for months on end.

You can listen to the podcast below.

(Via the Daily Mail)

Lauren Boebert’s divorce filing surprised a lot of people last week, and when those papers were served, they apparently shocked Jayson Boebert, her husband of two decades, too. Boebert has swiftly moved on to seemingly important matters like criticizing hoodies, although she did take a few moments to point out that Jayson wouldn’t drink Bud Light while both husband and wife denied a process server’s account of his allegedly hostile response to those papers.

Jayson is still talking, this time to Westword, in which he declared that Boebert’s congressional tenure thus far has “been a difficult time,” since the two are now so busy, and also works “long hours and I take care of our boys.” He further insists that no infidelity is to blame for the split, and he told Westword that “security footage” will prove that he didn’t explode with anger toward that process server:

“I opened the door to greet the gentleman,” Jayson says. “He looked familiar like an old buddy. My dogs greeted him like they do with everyone. No threat to him. The process server approached me and said don’t shoot the messenger. I was not drinking. I was not cleaning a gun. There was no guns around. I then closed the door after I told him he was trespassing.”

According to Jayson, there are “signs all over” the driveway leading to the house where he was staying warning people about trespassing. “I said to him, ‘Don’t make me call the sheriff’ and walked into my basement,” he recalls. “I was not angry, I didn’t even know what it was about. I have security footage of this event that has been sent to attorneys.”

As Westword mentions, Jayson Boebert ran afoul of the law nearly two decades ago, including his arrests for indecent exposure and domestic violence. Lauren also wrote of “anger management” in the context of Jayson while penning her 2022 memoir, My American Life, which declared that Jayson “needed the alcohol and anger management classes” that were part of his plea deal on the indecent exposure charges. Jayson, for his part, appears to be maintaining that he’s long since turned over a new leaf and will be vindicated by that security footage. Last week, Lauren also claimed that recent reports of a tantruming Jayson running over a neighbor’s mailbox are false.

(Via Westword)

Kid Cudi went live on Instagram on May 19 to preview a forthcoming single (as captured by someone on Twitter) before teasing his “Flex” single in a since-vanished TikTok (as preserved here). Cudi’s Twitter feed is filled with fans’ reactions to both. He tweeted a pre-save link to “Flex” on May 19, but just hours later, his plans had changed. Some people tweeted at Cudi their excitement for “Flex,” but apparently, they were outnumbered.

“You guys are my fans, ur my family!!! I hear yall!! Im pivoting. Different single June 2nd!! [smiley emoji, peace sign emoji, hearts emoji],” Cudi tweeted.

Cudi also updated his Twitter bio, “New vibes comin JUNE 2ND.”

In February, the multi-hyphenate creative shared his plans for the remainder of the year on Twitter: “Album this Fall. First singles this summer. The new chapter has begun… Ur not prepared man. We’ve reached a new level.” One person wished for a tour, and Cudi replied, “World tour next year. Count on it [winking emoji].” Cudi replied to another person asking what he’s excited about in 2023, “Man, so much. My clothing line, directing my first movie that I’m starring in from a script I wrote, couple movies coming out, a lil tv, Im seriously the most hyped about it all.”

Deadline reported last month that Cudi will star in and co-produce a Sony Pictures’ “action horror-comedy” titled Hell Naw that Sam Levinson (Euphoria, The Idol) will produce.

“The plot is being kept under wraps, but we do know the film is set during Paris Fashion Week and there will be zombies,” Deadline wrote at the time.

Cudi (real name Scott Mescudi) provided a statement at the time:

“This movie has been five years in the making. I am telling the world now, this film will f*ck you up in all the best ways. I have been a horror fan since I was seven years old. The first horror movies I ever saw were Night of the Living Dead and Evil Dead. And from that point on, I was hooked on the feeling of being frightened. I’ve been wanting to get into this world creating my own stories for a long time, and now, and after years of working it out in my head, it’s finally happening. Sam, The Lucas Brothers and myself have really crafted a tale we feel everyone who’s a fan of horror and comedy will enjoy. You will laugh, oh yes you will, but the horror aspect of this movie will really be something to see. You will be shook. I promise. Y’all know I don’t play around.”

With all that going on, it’s no wonder Cudi felt emboldened to name a song “Flex.”

A year ago, Carmelo Anthony was an important role player on the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 13.3 points off the bench as one of L.A.’s most consistent three-point threats. However, this year he was without a team as L.A. looked to get younger and, after a season away from the game, he came to the realization that it was time to call it a career.

On Monday morning, Anthony posted a video to his social media accounts announcing his retirement from the NBA after 19 seasons, with the future Hall of Famer thanking fans for their support over his nearly two-decade long career.

Anthony concludes the video by noting his legacy will live on through his son Kiyan, as well as noting he’s excited for his next chapter off the court, and he truly seems to be at peace with this being it for his playing career. That’s important because there was a time where Anthony was not in that place, but had been bounced out of the league after a rough (and brief) stint in Houston. He was able to revive his career for three more years thanks to embracing a role as a knockdown shooter in Portland, and seems to have written his last on-court chapter in the way he wanted.

Carmelo will finish his NBA career with 28,289 points, good for 11th all-time, and he has made his mark in the top-30 of the NBA record books in a variety of offensive categories. When he’s eligible, Anthony is a lock for the Hall of Fame based on his terrific NBA career as well as his one season at Syracuse, where he led the Orange to a national title as a freshman, and his work with USA Basketball winning three Olympic gold medals.

Ice Cube knows the value of great writing, and his pen game is as respected as ever. LeBron James cited Cube’s lyrics to commemorate becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in February, and Logic was compelled to cover Ice Cube’s “It Was A Good Day,” which Cube co-signed despite lukewarm (at best) fan reception.

Ice Cube does not co-sign the use of AI in hip-hop, however.

The iconic West Coast rapper visited the Full Send Podcast last week and was asked about “this new wave of rappers,” teeing him up to give a scathing review of AI.

Ice Cube’s thoughtful response began at the 47:35 mark:

“I like the beats. The artists are getting lost in autotunes, and now that you have an AI computer, I think people don’t want a computerized rapper no more. They want to hear your voice. I don’t know any rappers by they voice no more. I used to know all the rappers just – hear they voice, know who that is.

I think they need to figure out how to put that autotune down, and we need to hear what people sound like and if they’re as good because I think AI is demonic. I think AI is gonna get a backlash from real people — real, organic people — and so I think artists need to go back to using their real voice and making sure people know this is authentic and not made from a computer.”

When asked whether he was implying all artists now use AI, Ice Cube clarified, “I think autotune sounds computer-like, and I think it’s all starting to sound artificial because of AI.”

In case there was any remaining confusion regarding Ice Cube’s stance on AI, he later plainly stated: “I don’t want to hear an AI Drake song. I don’t want to hear that bullsh*t, and he should sue whoever made it.”

And if anyone dares to make an AI Ice Cube song, “I’m gonna sue the motherf*cker who make it, too, and the platform that plays it.”

Sting and will.i.am are among other artists who have shared their opinions on AI.

Watch Ice Cube’s full Full Send episode above.

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw an introspective Post Malone and a retrospective Lana Del Rey. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.

Post Malone — “Mourning”

In recent times, Post Malone has been open when it comes to getting sober; turns out he wants to be healthy to enjoy as much of his daughter’s life as he can. That’s great, but the process isn’t easy, as Malone sings about on “Mourning,” a new single from his personal upcoming album Austin.

Lana Del Rey — “Say Yes To Heaven”

“Say Yes To Heaven” is a newly released song, but to Lana Del Rey stans, it’s already an old classic. The song has appeared online in various capacities over the years, but last week, Del Rey gave the track — a moving, atmospheric number — its first-ever official release.

Bad Bunny — “Where She Goes”

Bad Bunny is the biggest artist in the world (at least according to him being the most-streamed artist on Spotify pretty much all the time). He offers plenty of star power on his own, but he turned it up to well beyond 11 with his new video for “Where She Goes,” which features Dominic Fike, Frank Ocean, Lil Uzi Vert, Ronaldinho, and others.

Summer Walker — “To Summer, From Cole (Audio Hug)” Feat. J. Cole

Summer Walker opens her new Clear 2: Soft Life EP by shining a light on J. Cole, who comes through with a heartwarming and well-received verse on “To Summer, From Cole (Audio Hug).” Uproxx’s Aaron Williams describes the track, “Over a mellow, piano-driven soul beat, Cole ruminates on the duo’s burgeoning friendship, congratulating Walker on her newborns and commiserating with her about the travails of the music industry.”

Blur — “The Narcissist”

Damon Albarn has to be one of the busiest people in music. The Gorillaz machine is in perpetual motion, he put out a solo album in 2021, and now he’s getting the Blur gang back together for The Ballad Of Darren, their first album in nearly a decade. They shared “The Narcissist” last week, a propulsive yet mellow indie-rocker.

Halle Bailey — “For The First Time”

“Part Of Your World” is of course the big Ariel song from The Little Mermaid, so we’ve definitely already heard Halle Bailey give it a go by now. The live-action remake’s full soundtrack album dropped last week, though, and that offered a look at “For The First Time,” a more upbeat number from the film that shows off Bailey’s powerhouse vocals in a different way.

Zara Larsson — “End Of Time”

Larsson told Uproxx of her new single, “I love the melodies. I love that it feels big, but it feels like a classic song. And in a way, it’s danceable, it’s pop, and it’s just like a very existential love song about wanting to love somebody until the very end of time.”

NxWorries — “Daydreaming”

Anderson .Paak has proven over the years that he’s a superb collaborator, with a voice and energy that regularly plays well with others. Right now, the focus is on NxWorries (the duo of .Paak and Knxwledge), as they dropped “Daydreaming” a few days ago. It’s a relaxed and warm tune ready for summer that’ll be the perfect score for warm nights of lazy afternoons.

Paul Simon — Seven Psalms

Paul Simon is 81 years old and the Simon & Garfunkel legend is clearly not done adventuring. His new album Seven Psalms, for example, is an atypical undertaking: It’s a completely acoustic project that consists of one multi-segment song, meant to be heard in one 33-minute sitting.

Conan Gray — “Never Ending Song”

Conan Gray is one of pop’s more exciting young stars right now, and the fresh-faced artist goes for a decidedly nostalgic sound on his latest single, “Never Ending Song.” The synthy number sounds like a lost ’80s hit, with Gray even adopting a vocal style reminiscent of the era, but he gorgeously adapted the aesthetic to something that works here in 2023, too.

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