Category: Worldwide

This year, the Harlem music festival documented in Questlove’s directorial debut Summer Of Soul is returning and will actually be a year-long affair celebrating the history and culture of the New York neighborhood and its influence. While the Harlem Festival Of Culture will mostly take place in July, a series of related events will kick off this month with a concert at the legendary Apollo Theater headlined by rap icon Lil Kim.

The Jump Off With Lil Kim And Friends is billed for January 26, which is incidentally the Apollo’s 89th anniversary. Yvonne McNair, the Harlem Festival Of Culture’s co-founder and talent producer, said in a statement, “As we prepared to start on this road to the launch of the festival, we realized that this was also a milestone year for hip-hop and knew that our first major event out of the gate had to be special and center around hip-hop and R&B.”

“One of the tenets of HFC’s mission is to celebrate and preserve the cultural contributions of the Black Diaspora in music, media, art, fashion, and entertainment. Hip-hop culture has touched every single part of society, and there is no artist that better represents its far-reaching impact than Lil Kim. We’re so thrilled that Kim will help us curate the evening to bring a full, one-of-a-kind music experience to audiences in the city where it all began. We’re also excited to launch this event and our festival journey with our partners.”

“Apollo was like my backyard,” said Kim herself. “I played there so much and every time it was always love. The crowd is always amazing!”

Over the past year, Kim’s influence has become more apparent than ever, as successors to her raunchy rap legacy like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion talked about collaborating with her, and even Nicki Minaj acknowledged her impact.

Billie Eilish is reportedly seeking a restraining order against a 39-year-old man accused of breaking into her parents’ Los Angeles home, according to a report by Los Angeles Times. The Times says they have received court documents, including a statement from Eilish.

In the statement, Eilish wrote that a man Christopher Anderson intruded into her childhood home, in which her parents Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell still live “unannounced and uninvited after apparently professing his love for me and expressing that he really wanted to meet me.”

Eilish noted that she had never communicated with Anderson prior, and that he had shown up to the home several times before the break-in, which took place on January 5. She added that she does not feel safe returning to her family’s home.

O’Connell also noted in the documents that Anderson, “professed his love for my daughter Billie, claimed that at some point in time, Billie had been watching Mr. Anderson and writing songs about Mr. Anderson and that Mr. Anderson really wanted to meet Billie.”

Back in 2020, Eilish filed a restraining order against another man who had shown up to their house several times in the past.

Eilish’s brother, Finneas, has alluded to stalkers in his song, “The ’90s,” singing “I hate how easy they can find me just by looking up my mom’s address.”

“Regrettably, this is not the first time an unknown individual has attempted to contact my family and me specifically by stalking us outside my family’s home and by making professions of love to and threats of violence against me,” Eilish wrote in the most recent court documents. “However, each such occasion, including the present one, causes me substantial anxiety, fear, and emotional distress over my personal safety and that of my father, mother, and brother.”

Is there anything Snoop Dogg hasn’t accomplished in his thirty-year career? Over the past few years, the rapper has expanded his business empire to include acquiring his former record label, opening a Funko Pop store, starting a pet clothing line, and of course, collaborating on a cannabis line. The musician has surely come a long way since writing out his song lyrics on typewriter.

That said, the Long Beach native is still experiencing a career first, having been named by the Songwriters Hall of Fame as one of its latest inductees. The class of 2023 inductees will also include musical trailblazers Sade, Glen Ballard, Gloria Estefan, Jeff Lynne, Teddy Riley, and Liz Rose.

When discussing the annual event, SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers said, “The music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them, there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch… nothing. It all starts with the song and the songwriter.”

He added, “We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2023 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity, and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and, in their time, literally transformed music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.”

In fact, with her induction, Gloria Estefan will become the first Latin woman to enter the ranks.

The ceremonial event is slated for Thursday, June 15th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. To purchase tickets, click here.

2022 was definitely a year that happened! Despite some potential moral misfires and slight price adjustments, Netflix was able to hold its own throughout the year, thanks to viral movie moments and Daniel Craig in nautical wear. And now it’s on to the next one, though this year will have significantly fewer movies than the last two years, which averaged about one movie premiere a week. That seems excessive, anyway.

The streamer gave fans a first look at what to expect in the coming year of action movies, intense dramas, and more Adam Sandler murder mystery parties. Truly, there is something for everyone!

Kicking off 2023 will be Eddie Murphy’s You People with an all-star cast led by Murphy and featuring Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, Sam Jay, Elliott Gould, Travis Bennett, Molly Gordon, Rhea Perlman, Deon Cole, and Louis-Dreyfus, just to name a few. The comedy will premiere on January 27th.

Just in time for the most romantic holiday of the year (National Umbrella Day), Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon will lead the romantic comedy Your Place Or Mine, which debuts on February 10th. The preview also included a look at Idris Elba reprising his role as Detective John Luther in Luther: The Fallen Sun, which will premiere on March 10th. Jennifer Anniston and Adam Sandler will reunite in Murder Mystery 2, the sequel to the unexpected 2019 hit. Sandler and Aniston’s characters Nick and Audrey Spitz have returned to become full-time detectives, though they seem to be struggling to get their small business off the ground. It’s very relatable in the gig economy!

When it comes to action films, Chris Hemsworth’s long-awaited Extraction 2 will premiere on June 10th, just over three years since the first film in the franchise. The sequel was written by Joe Russo of The Russo Bros. fame and will bring back Tyler Rake on another high-stakes mission, this time set on a beautiful snowy mountain.

The second half of the year will bring They Cloned Tyrone, a sci-fi comedy starring John Boyega and Jamie Foxx, meanwhile Gal Gadot’s latest action thriller Heart Of Stone will land on the streamer on August 11th.

Other movies slated to drop this year include Millie Bobby Brown’s Damsel dropping on October 10th, Emily Blunt and Chris Evans’ Pain Hustlers on October 27th, and Michael Fassbender’s The Killer, which will premiere on November 10th. Finally, Zack Snyder’s buzzy sci-fi epic Rebel Moon will land in December.

As for the yet-unannounced films, we do know that Netflix has that mighty deal with Rian Johnson, which means there will probably be some progress on the upcoming Knives Out installment in the coming year. Earlier this month, Johnson told Variety how he intends to craft the third installment. “I’m starting to work on the third movie now, and that’s also what’s got me creatively jazzed: I don’t have to replicate the last movie at all. The goal is to strike out in a completely new direction tonally and thematically.” There is a good chance some movement will happen this year, perhaps for a 2024 release. One can dream!

(Via Variety)

There’s two ways of looking at the box office total for conspiracy loving Gina Carano’s most recent film, the Ben Shapiro-produced Terror on the Prairie (think: a grittier Yellowstone, but without the “woke” kisses). The charitable interpretation is that it only made $13,115 because it had an extremely limited theatrical reaction — we’re talking one, maybe two theaters — before being released on Daily Wire. The funnier interpretation is that it only made $13,115 because no one wants to see the fired The Mandalorian star in a low-budget Western — including some conservatives, via Indiewire:

Terror on the Prairie represented the right-wing media outlet’s most serious attempt at mainstream filmmaking to date, [but] it failed to resonate with its target audience. A new story in the AV Club revealed that there are still some fringe online personalities who thought the film was too “woke.” Many of them took to Twitter and IMDb comment sections to complain about the film’s male characters acting insufficiently masculine while allowing Carano’s heroine to save the day.

The people of Worth It or Woke? have spoken, and they are triggered:

In response to a suggestion that she lost millions by not being able to keep her beliefs to herself, Carano wrote, “I didn’t fumble the bag I just didn’t go along with the sell out narrative, the online mob couldn’t handle that so they petitioned to have me fired & won. I’m not sorry for that. I stood for what I believe the right thing to do was & the more time that goes by the better I feel.” She added, “The genuine bag fumble is sell out journalists like you who sold out America and stopped asking questions to be liked by a fickle manipulated mob. That is what you valued and that will be your legacy.”

(Via Indiewire and the AV Club)

One of the traits that endeared GloRilla to audiences so much during her breakout in 2022 was her commitment to bringing her “ratchet ass friends” along for the ride. That included fellow Memphis rapper Gloss Up, who landed her own record deal with Atlanta’s Quality Control Music. Despite being on different labels now, the two clearly remain best friends, celebrating and showing off their bond in Gloss’s aptly-titled new single, “BestFrenn.”

In the video, Gloss and Glo get their GLOW on, borrowing the themes and aesthetic of an underground wrestling promotion. They make one hell of a tag team, taking on all challengers, which include the “Laso Girls” a cowboy-themed duo,
“Battle Buddies,” who share a military look, and “Biker Girls,” whose gimmick ought to be obvious from their title. In the lyrics, the two Memphis rappers boast, “Wе don’t do no one-on-one, we all bе jumpin’ in.” Sounds about right.

While GloRilla was the clear 2022 rookie of the year, Gloss Up was no slouch herself. She appeared on labelmate Lakeyah’s mixtape No Pressure Pt. 2, lending a belligerent verse to the single “Real B*tch” and establishing herself as a potential star in her own right. With Glo backing her up and the QC machine at her disposal, it’s only a matter of time until she proves every bit the crowd-pleasing presence as her bestie.

Watch Gloss Up’s “BestFrenn” video featuring GloRilla above.

Following the success of his album Fantasy Gateway album, Cuco is going to perform in concerts across the US next month. Today (January 18), the Mexican-American singer announced the dates for his Interdimensional Tour.

As a Los Angeles County native, Cuco is known for blending his blending his alternative music with influences of his Mexican heritage. He has brought an alternative edge to Latin music and conversely given alternative music a Chicano touch. Cuco best exemplified that sound with his second album Fantasy Gateway that was released in July. The LP featured his breakthrough hit “Sitting In The Corner” featuring Kacey Musgraves and Mexican singer Adriel Favela.

In support of the Fantasy Gateway album, Cuco will go on embark on the Interdimensional Tour next month. The tour kicks off in San Francisco on February 27. Going into March, Cuco will visit cities like San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and New York. The tour also includes Cuco’s two stops in Mexico City where he will open for Tame Impala. Check out his website for information on when tickets will be available.

Cuco’s Fantasy Gateway album also featured duets with Mexican-American singer DannyLux in “Decir Adios” and Mexican artist Bratty in “Fin Del Mundo.” Last month, Cuco released the heartfelt song “Pendant” as a tribute to his grandfather. To kick off 2023, he dropped the aptly-titled single “First Of The Year.”

Find his upcoming tour dates below.

02/27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
02/28 – Pomona, CA @ Glass House
03/01 – San Diego, CA @ North Park Observatory
03/02 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
03/04 – Las Vegas, NV @ Portal – Area 15 (Meow Wolf)
03/06 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory OC
03/10 – Mexico City @ Palacio de los Deportes with Tame Impala
03/11 – Mexico City @ Palacio de los Deportes with Tame Impala
03/28 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/30 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall

Later this year, Zack Snyder will drop his sci-fi epic on Rebel Moon on Netflix, which just released the first footage from the highly anticipated film. If the brief preview gave off heavy Star Wars vibes, there’s a good reason for that. The film is a direct result of a pitch Snyder made to Lucasfilm back when Disney first acquired the franchise. Ultimately, the pitch never went past “meaningful conversations” and for years, Snyders denied online rumors that he almost made a Star Wars film. However, that all changed in 2021.

While promoting both Army of the Dead and the release of the Snyder Cut on HBO Max, the director confirmed the Lucasfilm talks and hinted that the film might see the light of a day as a standalone feature. “The 11-year-old me still wants to make that, and now, I know how to,” Snyder told the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Turns out, he had up his sleeve.

A month later, Snyder and Netflix announced Rebel Moon. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

“This is me growing up as an Akira Kurosawa fan, a Star Wars fan,” Snyder tells The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s my love of sci-fi and a giant adventure. My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out.”

Rebel finds its origins in a Star Wars pitch the filmmaker developed a decade ago. It was a more mature take on the universe created by George Lucas and didn’t move beyond meaningful conversations after The Walt Disney Co. acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.

According to Snyder, at one point Rebel Moon almost became a TV series, but he ultimately decided the best route was a full-on film, which will arrive later this year.

Rebel Moon premieres December 22, 2023 on Netflix.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

After the team’s best season in nearly a decade, the Memphis Grizzlies entered the 2022-23 campaign with considerable expectations. Memphis was thrust into the contender tier with good reason, and the Grizzlies’ combination of young talent, intriguing depth, and organizational stability was the envy of the league. Memphis didn’t exactly fall flat on its face at the start of the year, but the Grizzlies were just 12-9 at the end of November and just staying afloat rather than dominating the competition.

Since the calendar flipped to December, though, Memphis is the best team in the NBA. The Grizzlies are 18-4 since Dec. 1, outscoring opponents by 10.6 points per 100 possessions. That is the best mark in the league by more than three points, and Memphis is also on the league’s longest active winning streak, picking up 10 victories in a row. The Grizzlies are bludgeoning opponents with a 119.9 offensive rating and a 106.5 defensive rating in that 10-game sample, and Memphis is now projected as the favorite to win the Western Conference by the folks at FiveThirtyEight.

Of course, that doesn’t ensure anything, but the Grizzlies are also looking the part and appearing to be quite scary at full strength. Jaren Jackson Jr. missed the start of the season, but the Grizzlies are allowing only 1.02 points per possession when he’s on the floor, and he’s a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Desmond Bane is also rounding into form, including a 59 percent three-point clip in the last five games, and Ja Morant remains the centerpiece with a superstar level of performance.

The West remains an intriguing and wide-open gauntlet right now, but it certainly wouldn’t be crazy to install the Grizzlies as the favorite to emerge at the end. Memphis just throttled Phoenix by a 30-point margin on a national stage, and the Grizzlies are laying waste to anything in their path at this stage. There is a long way to go but, after a so-so start, Memphis is now rocking and rolling at its highest possible level.

Where do the Grizzlies rank this week in our DIME power rankings? You won’t have to scroll down very far.

1. Memphis Grizzlies (30-13, Last week — 1st)

The Grizzlies host the Cavaliers on Wednesday before heading out on a five-game road trip. Memphis may not continue to win every game, but the Grizzlies are very, very good and they’ve earned this spot.

2. Boston Celtics (33-12, Last week — 2nd)

Boston has the best season-long profile in the league, leading the NBA in net rating and offensive rating. The Celtics are also on a seven-game winning streak, with five of those victories coming on the road. Honestly, there is a good argument for Boston at No. 1 this week, and they are clearly in the top two alongside Memphis.

3. Denver Nuggets (31-13, Last week — 3rd)

All the Nuggets have done is continue to win. Denver is No. 2 in offense and No. 4 in net rating with an active seven-game winning streak. It also helps to have Nikola Jokic, who just put up a 36-12-10 performance on 13-for-14 shooting in a win over Portland. He’s an alien.

4. Philadelphia 76ers (28-16, Last week — 5th)

Philadelphia was 12-12. Now, Philadelphia is 28-16. The 76ers have a +6.8 net rating in the last 20 games and even managed to go 2-1 without Joel Embiid. By the way, Embiid is averaging 35.8 points on 56 percent shooting over the last 11 games.

5. Milwaukee Bucks (29-16, Last week — 6th)

On the court, the Bucks are doing just fine. The big story is Giannis Antetokounmpo missing four straight games and, even after a back-to-back sweep without him, the reality is that Milwaukee is probably drawing dead at the highest levels without Giannis and Khris Middleton available to juice the offense.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers (28-17, Last week — 7th)

Donovan Mitchell is facing a groin issue, which is something to keep an eye on at this stage. Beyond that, Cleveland is hanging around the top tier after a trip to the west that wasn’t great but was bookended with a nice win over New Orleans.

7. Brooklyn Nets (27-16, Last week — 4th)

Out of respect for the full-season profile, Brooklyn doesn’t totally plummet. The Nets aren’t the same without Kevin Durant, though, and Brooklyn has dropped three in a row, including one without Kyrie Irving as well.

8. Sacramento Kings (24-18, Last week — 15th)

The Kings get a big bump on the strength of a winning streak and middling play all around them. Sacramento is on a four-game run, though it is worth noting that the wins came against Orlando, Houston (twice), and San Antonio. All they’re doing is taking care of business.

9. New Orleans Pelicans (26-18, Last week — 9th)

New Orleans is just trying to keep it together without both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. The Pelicans are 15-10 without Ingram and 3-4 without Zion (so far), and that is pretty respectable, all things considered.

10. Miami Heat (24-21, Last week — 11th)

Miami dug a massive hole and lost in Atlanta on Monday. That wasn’t a great performance in a playoff rematch, but the Heat are 12-6 in the last 18 and playing much better on the whole.

11. New York Knicks (25-20, Last week — 12th)

Both losses came at home, which isn’t great, but the Knicks are 7-2 in the last nine games. The trio of Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Jalen Brunson really has it going, and we live in a world where New York sits in the top ten of the league in offensive rating.

12. Golden State Warriors (22-22, Last week — 18th)

The Warriors aren’t exactly in high gear when compared to last season, though the flashes are real. Stephen Curry tossed up 41 points on Monday in a road win, and Golden State gets default respect that they’ve earned in the big picture.

13. Atlanta Hawks (22-22, Last week — 19th)

The off-court vibes are horrendous in Atlanta with story after story about front office and ownership turmoil. On the court, though, the Hawks just had arguably their best three-game stretch of the season, sweeping a road back-to-back and then beating a Miami team that has flummoxed Atlanta for a while. Now, the Hawks go to Dallas for a Young vs. Doncic showdown on Wednesday, but Atlanta’s on-court performance feels different than it did a week ago.

14. Dallas Mavericks (24-21, Last week — 10th)

Dallas has dropped four of the last five, though it’s notable that Luka Doncic missed two of those games. The Mavericks have a thoroughly bizarre offensive profile that features dead-last rankings in assists, points in the paint, and fast break points while still landing in the top six or seven of the league in offensive efficiency. Luka is pretty good.

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-23, Last week — 24th)

The Thunder are… pretty good? Oklahoma City has outscored its opponents for the season, and the Thunder are 5-1 in the last six. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves every bit of praise, it was also a big weekend for Josh Giddey, who put up 25-10-6 on Friday and followed it with 28-9-9 on Sunday. That’ll do.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves (22-23, Last week — 13th)

Minnesota got a positive bump last week and regresses a bit this time. The Wolves are 6-2 in the last eight, but just 2-2 in the last four with losses to Detroit and Utah. Another shrug emoji for Minnesota.

17. L.A. Clippers (23-23, Last week — 16th)

If anyone tells you they know what the Clippers really are at full strength, they probably don’t. Paul George returned from a five-game absence in a road loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday, which helps.

18. Utah Jazz (23-24, Last week — 21st)

Utah’s numbers over a pretty large sample are pretty ugly, but the Jazz are 3-1 in the last four. Monday’s one-point road win over Minnesota bumped the Jazz up a couple of spots in the pecking order.

19. Indiana Pacers (23-22, Last week — 8th)

I guess there might be a DIME curse. The Pacers were featured a week ago on the upswing and promptly turned around and lost four in a row. Indiana’s losing streak came against good competition and while shorthanded, but a crash in the rankings has to happen.

20. Los Angeles Lakers (20-24, Last week — 14th)

The reality of what the Lakers are and aren’t without Anthony Davis has set in if you’re paying attention. That doesn’t take away from the absurdity of LeBron James, who casually put up 48 points in a win over Houston on Monday. The man is 38 years old.

21. Portland Trail Blazers (21-23, Last week — 25th)

The Blazers haven’t beaten a team other than the Mavericks since Jan. 2. On the bright side, Portland played (and beat) Dallas twice this week to stop the bleeding of a losing streak.

22. Chicago Bulls (20-24, Last week — 20th)

Chicago is in Paris to play Detroit on Thursday, so it’s been quiet since Sunday. The Bulls did beat the Warriors on that particular day, with Nikola Vucevic posting his best game of the season with 43 points and 13 rebounds.

23. Toronto Raptors (20-25, Last week — 22nd)

Toronto’s road win in New York on MLK Day was encouraging. Unfortunately, the Raptors lost in ugly fashion at home to Atlanta and then turned around and lost to the Bucks without Giannis and Middleton on Tuesday. At the moment, the Raptors are out of the play-in tournament in the East, which is remarkable.

24. Phoenix Suns (21-24, Last week — 17th)

Devin Booker’s absence has to be noted when talking about how poorly Phoenix is playing. Still, the Suns are 2-12 in the last 14 games, and that is a staggeringly ugly run for an established contender. Obviously, the Suns are better than this when at even close to full strength, but things are going very poorly right now.

25. Washington Wizards (18-26, Last week — 26th)

Washington actually rises by a spot despite losing five of the last six games. The Wizards lost two single-digit games to quality teams and also beat the Bulls this week. That was good enough to avoid falling.

26. Orlando Magic (16-28, Last week — 23rd)

The Magic had a heck of a run in December, but the regression monster arrived. Orlando is just 3-7 in the last ten games, though a closer look may be a little bit more encouraging given the quality of competition. Also, the Magic have a very strange four-day break between games with Orlando returning to the floor on Friday.

27. Detroit Pistons (12-35, Last week — 29th)

Detroit’s been out of action since Sunday as the Pistons will face the Bulls in Paris on Thursday. The Pistons did pick up a nice win over Minnesota to jump out of the bottom three, but Detroit is still 1-5 in the last six and 4-13 in the last 17.

28. San Antonio Spurs (14-31, Last week — 27th)

The Spurs snapped a five-game losing streak with a nice home win over Brooklyn on Tuesday. That victory isn’t quite as impressive when accounting for the absence of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, though, and San Antonio’s season-long profile is gross.

29. Charlotte Hornets (11-34, Last week — 28th)

Wednesday will feature a headline-grabbing showdown between the last two teams on this list. The Hornets visit the Rockets (see below) in a battle for basement supremacy. Get your popcorn ready.

30. Houston Rockets (10-34, Last week — 30th)

It is really ugly for the Rockets. Houston is 1-16 over the last month and change, and the Rockets are on an 11-game losing streak. The league’s worst offense is the primary culprit, but the Rockets are also dire on defense and the vibes do not appear to be immaculate.

The ups and downs of Noel and Liam Gallagher’s relationship have been… interesting to say the least. After the two Oasis brothers maintained a very public feud, each going to pursue their own solo musical careers, they’ve recently both hinted at the possibility of a reunion.

“You should never say never,” Noel told BBC Radio Manchester, as NME notes. “It would have to take an extraordinary set of circumstances. That’s not to say that those circumstances would never come about.”

Liam has equally seemed up for the opportunity. “Why not f*ck all else going on this year,” he told a fan on Twitter today (January 18).

However, Liam has also had some choice words about his brother, even just this morning. “I do actually it’s the best 1 he’s done for long time his voice is still weak as piss though,” he answered after someone asked whether he liked Noel’s new song.

Noel first officially quit Oasis in 2009, citing Liam as the primary reason why. His tone has slightly shifted from last October when he claimed that there was “no point” to a reunion. In contrast, Liam said he would reunite Oasis for free — while Noel wanted 100 million Euros.

“We should never have split up, but we did, and this is where we’re at,” Liam told The Times.

Here’s hoping some good news is on the horizon for fans of both these two.