Category: Worldwide

Last week was a roller coaster for rap fans as within days of learning that Drake and 21 Savage had teamed up to produce a joint album continuing their “Jimmy Cooks” chemistry, the duo delivered a blow by delaying its release due to Drake’s longtime engineer Noah “40” Shebib getting COVID. Upon learning the new date, though, one of their musical peers decided it’d be best to take the day off, delaying his own album.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie might be a huge star in his own right, but he might also have a point. Drake is still the biggest name in hip-hop and the potential of reviving his oft-dormant battle rap persona for a full project — even if only half of it — will be a huge draw for rap-loving audiences. Meanwhile, A Boogie’s album, Me Vs. Myself, could easily go to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 considering the performance of his prior efforts but having to compete with both Drake and 21 Savage to get there seems to be something he has no interest in.

In a post on his Instagram Story, the Bronx native wrote, “Sorry but album dropping in December now, Drake was dropping the same day and I’m not with that.”

At least he’s as honest with himself as he is with his fans.

There have been quite a few Really Good New Shows this year and even though most of them have either dragons or medieval blondes or both dragons AND blondes, only one of them has Adam Scott, and that’s Severance (or that one miniseries with Maya Rudolph but that one doesn’t really count).

Apple TV+’s thriller premiered in February and quickly became a hit, racking up an impressive 14 Emmy nominations, and even though they didn’t win, they will surely have another shot when season two premieres (eventually). The second season just began filming, and AppleTV shared a first-look image featuring Adam Scott looking appropriately stressed out.

The series follows Mark, an employee at Lumon Industries, who becomes a part of the “severance” program after the death of his wife. This allows him to separate his “work” memories from his “life” memories, but slowly he realizes that things at a sketchy company that steals memories and exploits employees are not how they seem!

There are a lot of questions that we need to have answered in season two, though it will be some time before it graces our screens. It seems like that will be the case for a lot of good shows right now. But that doesn’t stop the internet from celebrating via Waffle Party gifs. Season two will feature the addition of Alia Shawkat, Gwendoline Christie, Merritt Wever, and Bob Balaban, so there is a lot to celebrate, after all!

Daryl Morey spent the offseason getting the band back together from his days in Houston, signing PJ Tucker and Danuel House to add depth to the Sixers in free agency — thanks in large part to James Harden taking a pay cut to open up some space.

The only problem was, the timing of the signings felt a bit too convenient, leading to a tampering investigation by the league into the Sixers offseason. On Monday, we learned the results of that investigation, with the NBA taking away the Sixers second round picks in the 2023 and 2024 drafts for having conversations with Tucker and House prior to the moratorium period opening on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

The Sixers released a statement accepting the decision and saying they will be moving forward as an organization, and if you were to tell Morey prior to the summer that he could make those moves for the cost of two second round picks, he’d almost assuredly say yes. As always, the NBA doesn’t really have a great way to deter teams from tampering without giving out huge punishments. The loss of second round picks isn’t nothing, as those are ways to fill out the roster for a capped out team like Philly and/or serving as assets to send out in trades, but this won’t deter the next team from having early conversations, they just might want to be a touch more discreet.

Everybody’s getting into the spooky holiday spirit this year, and many stars are pulling out all the stops. That number now includes Cardi B, who gave the popular TV character Marge Simpson a sexy twist with her high-fashion costume. In a pair of Instagram posts, Cardi sports the signature Lego-yellow skin tone and ceiling-scraping blue ‘do, but instead of Marge’s traditional green shift dress and flats, she throws some va-va-voom on Mrs. Simpson’s familiar look with a green corset and sky-high pumps. Then, in a second shot, she reproduces a classic Mugler look, baring the top half of her booty in a black-and-white gown.

Cardi wasn’t the only one to don a Simpsons-inspired costume this Halloween; Lizzo also painted herself bright yellow and donned a big ol’ blue wig, but she also opted for Marge’s classic look with cartoon makeup lines. And while fans are likely to wonder who wore it best, both women are likely to get off with lighter treatment than Kim K, who accidentally reproduced Saweetie’s Mystique costume from a couple of years back, then wore it to the wrong (non-costume) party. Meanwhile, other standouts of the holiday include Diddy, whose Joker stole the show with his commitment to the bit, and Janelle Monae, who went super-authentic with her Diva Plavalaguna from The Fifth Element.

Check out more celebrity and influencer Halloween costumes here and here.

If regular Jeopardy! and Celebrity Jeopardy! and 24/7 Jeopardy! reruns and the Insider Jeopardy! podcast wasn’t enough Jeopardy! for you, good news: the 2022 Tournament of Champions is upon us.

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve won 40 games or four. In the Tournament of Champions, everybody’s stats reset to zero,” announcer Johnny Gilbert says in the hype video above. “Here, everyone’s a champion and anyone can win the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.” Here’s the schedule for the first round of the two-week event:

Monday: Ryan Long (16 games won), Megan Wachspress (6), Maureen O’Neil (4)

Tuesday: Jonathan Fisher (11), Andrew He (5), Christine Whelchel (4)

Wednesday: Brian Chang (7), Tyler Rhode (5), Margaret Shelton (4)

Thursday: Courtney Shah (7), Rowan Ward (Second Chance winner), John Focht (4)

Friday: Eric Ahasic (6), Jaskaran Singh (National College Championship) winner, Jackie Kelly (4)

November 7: Zach Newkirk (6), Jessica Stephens (Second Chance winner), Sam Buttrey (Professors Tournament winner)

The winners will have the, uh, privilege of facting Jeopardy! legends Amy Schneider (40); Matt Amodio (38 games), and Mattea Roach (23) in the semi-finals beginning November 9. There’s no official game on November 8, Election Day; instead, Schneider, Amodio, and Roach will face each other in a “friendly warmup game” that Jeopardy! producer Michael Davies teased will “break the internet.”

Unless it gets pre-empted by [world’s longest groan] politics.

John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz should face each other on Jeopardy! to decide the winner. If every category is about Pennsylvania, Fetterman will win in a landslide.

(Via USA Today)

The Chicago Bears slipped to 3-5 on Sunday with a blowout loss to the Cowboys in Dallas, falling 3.5 games behind the Vikings in the NFC North.

It has been a reminder that the Bears are still building, and as building teams do, they are starting to shift focus to the future with their moves ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Last week they sent veteran defensive end Robert Quinn to the Eagles for a fourth-round pick, and on Monday they made an even bigger trade sending out another defensive star in linebacker Roquan Smith, dealing the All-Pro to the Ravens for a second and fifth-round pick.

Smith has become one of the NFL’s best middle linebackers in his young career, but he and the Bears could not reach a contract extension prior to the season, leading to the star to issue a trade request in August. Smith has played through that request, piling up 83 tackles (the most in the NFL), including 2.5 sacks, along with two interceptions, continuing to be a force in the middle of the Bears defense. He joins a Ravens team that has not been strong against the run this season and should immediately bring a sideline-to-sideline presence as Baltimore looks to secure their spot as an AFC playoff team at 5-3, currently sitting in first in the AFC North. One would also expect the Ravens to try and work out a deal to keep him long-term, considering the draft capital they’re giving up to get him.

The Bears get some solid draft capital in return, but one has to wonder if it’s worth giving up an All-Pro linebacker still entering his prime. Although that decision was made this offseason, and now they’re just reaping as much in return as they can get.

Glee creator Ryan Murphy sat down to talk with two former cast members, Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams) and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang), on their podcast And That’s What You REALLY Missed. During the chat, the television writer reveals the original script was much darker than the cheeky, lighthearted version we know today.

Murphy said after reading his co-creator Ian Brennan’s original script, he felt the show was the perfect musical idea for a show, but it was just “too dark” for network television, Variety reports.

Murphy also revealed that the show’s popular character Mr. Shue was initially written for Justin Timberlake and intended that the character was a “crystal meth addict.”

“Mr. Schue, I believe, was a crystal meth addict in Ian’s script,” Murphy said. “The NC-17 version of show choir with a weird protagonist who was unraveling… I just need something optimistic.” The series premiered in 2009 and had a six-season run before ending in 2015.

Recently, Murphy and Brennan came together with another collaboration, with Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story. The show, which premiered back in September, treks through the life of one of America’s prolific serial killers, Jeffery Dahmer. Throughout the ten-episode series, we see Dahmer struggle with his obsession with blood and mayhem before ultimately getting caught in 1991.

Weed delivery has gotten a major glow-up. Prior to legalization, a weed serve consisted of a burner phone and a rotating cast of dudes that arrived at your door two hours late with a backpack full of 1/8ths weighing closer to two grams. These days, even Uber delivers weed.

Just last week, UberEats in Canada announced a partnership with Leafly, a popular cannabis site, to deliver cannabis directly to consumers in Toronto. While this only affects a minuscule portion of cannabis users overall, this kind of international news underscores weed’s social acceptability, as well as the legitimacy of cannabis delivery as an emerging market around the globe.

Today’s consumers are blessed with access to a digital world of high-end delivery platforms that cater to everyone from clueless noobs to brand-literate super stoners. Some even come with Spotify-like algorithms that recommend products based on your personal tastes and purchase history.

While there are, of course, big names in the space like Weedmaps and Eaze, boutique delivery services are beginning to crop up as well, geared for the new wave of trendy consumers who have evolved with the market, and at this point, know their shit.

To help you navigate this flashy new world of weed apps, delivery sites, and extremely stoned UberEats drivers, here are the coolest delivery platforms on the market, and who they’re for.

For The Chic Environmentalist… FLOWERHEAD

Flowerhead is for the earth fairies, the sun-grown goddesses, and the environmentally conscious stoners among us. This brand new delivery platform, currently in website form with an app to launch next year, is the first to focus entirely on sun-grown flower, regenerative farms, and brands with environmental certifications that ensure their products are grown without harmful pesticides, etc.

In addition to a beautifully curated selection of earth-conscious cannabis products that bear striking resemblance to my personal stash shelf, Flowerhead also had a fantastic selection of artful smoking accessories from brands like Summerland Ceramics and Sackville and Co, to complete your plant power vibe.

Bottom Line:

If you shop at Erewhon or believe in plant spirits (I do), Flowerhead is for you.

Visit Flowerhead here.

For The Curious Consumer… JANE

Jane is a new delivery app that shines in patented technology focused on personalized recommendations, called Jane’s Collections. Broken into categories that are part effect-based, part experiential recommendations, users can browse through playlist-like product lists tailored to every vibe. Whether you’re looking to “Hang with Friends,” “Get Intimate,” or “Stimulate My Mind,” Jane’s got you covered.

This app is ideal for a curious consumer who is looking to try new things but needs some help understanding how different strains and types of products will affect them.

Bottom Line:

Great for the mid-level user looking to expand their product literacy.

Download Jane here for free.

For The Nervous Newbie… PROPER

Proper is a unique website that’s half cannabis product review publication and half delivery-platform aggregator. Basically, their goal is to educate consumers on how products will make them feel, what they’re for, and why they would want or not want them, then connect them with local deliveries and dispensaries that carry the product in question.

Their platform relies heavily on product rating scores, which are formulated by the “Proper Rating Committee,” a group of cannabis experts who rate products and write reviews. Full disclosure, I used to be part of this committee when Proper first hit the market, and have rated and reviewed hundreds if not thousands of products for this platform over the years.

The process is extensive, offering consumers an in-depth look at what’s available. It’s a great concept, especially for nervous new users who want to know EXACTLY what they’re getting into before ordering something they’ve never tried before.

Bottom line:

Do you know nothing about weed and want to try something but are secretly super scared? Check out Proper!

Visit Proper here.

For The Stoner on the Go… GRASSDOOR

Grassdoor is a new-ish platform that caters to the kind of stoner who knows what they like, what they don’t, and needs their weed within 45 minutes. This website/app also seems to have a TON of deals, which is always welcomed when you’re having to pay extra for weed delivery.

Another thing I like about this platform is the way they separate their products. Flower is grouped by sun-grown, greenhouse, and indoor, which I find to be a very effective way to shop for flower (and I think other in-the-know consumers do too). For the sake of clarity to less experienced cannabis users (Welcome! We love you!), sun-grown flower tends to be more environmentally conscious with a fuller spectrum of healing cannabinoids and flavorful terpenes producing a more holistic high, and indoor flower tends to have higher THC, more intense effects and has more negative implications for the environment.

They also offer two menus, one for delivery under 45 minutes with fewer products, and a one way more extensive one for scheduled delivery. Whether you’re preparing for a stoney weekend or need a quick hit before the gym, Grassdoor’s coming through.

Bottom line:

You smoke enough weed to know what you want and know that you want it NOW!

Download Grassdoor here:

For The Blind Trend Hopper… AMUSE

While Amuse has an extensive product selection from a number of good brands, it presents them in a way that prioritizes marketing trends in the industry not supported by plant science. The main categories of the page revolve around High THC flower and the cheapest possible products available, neither of which are going to give you a positive experience because products that are too cheap are shitty, and flower with too much THC can activate anxiety and paranoia, especially in novice users.

This platform caters to inaccuracies perpetuated by cannabis marketing that ultimately prioritizes profit to rob consumers of a fun, healing experience with the plant, which is one of my pet peeves. But, they do have a massive presence in the delivery industry, and a ton of great products to choose from.

Bottom Line:

Use this app if you’re looking for a specific product or brand you can’t find elsewhere, or if you like cheap, potent (AKA low-quality) products.

Download Amuse here.

Joe Rogan continued to prove that there isn’t a widely debunked hoax he won’t fall for every time. On this particular occassion, he joined forces with Dr. Phil to spread hysteria over reports of rainbow colored fentanyl being confused for Halloween candy. For the record, these reports were debunked back in September, but that didn’t stop Rogan and Dr. Phil from repeating the concerns. The two went on a rant about how they only trust candy they personally bought their kids from the store before one of Rogan’s producers flagged him down with a fact check. Whoops.

Via Mediaite:

“‘Drug policy experts contacted by NPR agree there’s no new fentanyl threat this Halloween. Many are also skeptical of the DEA’s original warning. They don’t believe Mexican drug cartels and street dealers have launched any new campaign targeting children,’” Rogan read.

Did that stop the two of them? Hahaha no. Dr. Phil continued to argue that the issue isn’t so much targeting kids as them maybe accidentally picking up super expensive fentanyl pills that just happen to be lying around, which again is not a thing that’s happening.

“I’m not saying they’re targeting, I don’t care if you use the word targeting or not, it’s dangerous. And I’m just saying — you know, my grandkids, they won’t be getting any candy out of that and it’s not that anywhere they’re going is gonna be dangerous, giving out fentanyl to kids. It’s just they don’t know where they’re it’s coming from,” Dr. Phil said.

“You’re not getting it from a store,” Rogan chimed in completely ignoring the fact check he just read moments ago.

(Via Mediaite)

Last night (October 30), Tokischa wrapped her first US tour with a concert in Miami. After the show, the rising Dominican artist was surprised to be greeted by Canadian superstar Drake.

Following collaborations with J Balvin and Rosalía last year, Tokischa has kept the momentum in her career going strong. She teamed up with Rosalía once again for “La Combi Versace” on the Motomami album and then worked with Marshmello on their song “Estilazo.” The Dominican dembow genre that Tokischa is helping globalize later caught the attention of Madonna, who enlisted her for a remix of “Hung Up.”

In August, Tokischa kicked off her Popola Tour in the US. The title of the tour is Dominican slang for the word “p*ssy,” which reflects the sex positivity behind Tokischa’s bangers. She sold-out concerts in cities across the country like Las Vegas, LA, Boston, Houston, and Atlanta. Toksicha wrapped-up the tour last night at E11EVEN in Miami.

Now you can add Drake to the list of Tokischa’s famous admirers. After Tokischa finished the concert in Miami, she was approached by Drake. He congratulated her on her success and gave her a hug. The two artists then took a photo together. Drake also started following Tokischa on Instagram.

Drake dabbled Dominican bachata before alongside Romeo Santos. Maybe his next musical frontier will be in the dembow genre with Tokischa? Earlier this month, Bad Bunny flew Tokischa to the Dominican Republic so that she could be a surprise guest at his concert there.