Category: Worldwide

DK Metcalf has already emerged in his second season as one of the NFL’s most terrifying threats from the wide receiver position. The massive receiver with blazing speed fell to the bottom of the second round in 2019, where the Seahawks scooped him up and he has since played with the edge of a man who believed himself to be slighted by every other team in the league.

Metcalf’s size makes him incredibly difficult to bring down one-on-one, while his speed allows him to get separation downfield on even the best of corners (and even when there isn’t a lot of separation, he can go up and win 50/50 balls). Playing with arguably the best deep ball thrower in the league in Russell Wilson certainly helps Metcalf reach his full potential, but the work he’s put in to become a complete receiver this quickly has been wildly impressive.

Monday night saw Metcalf put up his latest sensational performance, catching 10 passes for 177 yards against the Eagles, setting a new career-high for yardage in the process. After the game, Metcalf, said he had plenty of motivation going into the game, thanks in part to comments Eagles DC Jim Schwartz made to him about not being at Calvin Johnson’s level just yet.

Schwartz would go on to clarify he was giving Metcalf a compliment, saying he’s the closest thing he’s seen to Johnson in all his years in the league and while he’s not quite at that level, he’s on his way to greatness. Still, Metcalf clearly learned some things from watching Michael Jordan in The Last Dance, and still managed to flip that compliment into a slight, joking on Twitter afterwards with the MJ “and I took that personally” meme.

I would suggest to any opposing coach planning on talking to Metcalf before a game to maybe stick to pleasantries and avoid any football talk, because he’s always ready to create a slight like the very best, and you’re just doing a disservice to your DBs by riling him up in any way, even if accidentally.

It’s officially the first day of December, which means people are getting into the holiday spirit — and so is Pornhub, apparently. The popular pornographic website is ringing in the jolly season with a new soundtrack of X-rated festive songs from some popular artists.

Pornhub unveiled their mixtape XXXMas, which is available on all major streaming services. It boasts seven tracks with titles like “Holiday Freak Sh*t,” “Ho,” “Vixen,” and “Stuff Our Stockings Santa” by rappers Young MA, Sukihana, ASAP Ferg, Rubi Rose, and more.

Surprisingly, this is not the first time Pornhub has made a holiday album. Last year was their first-ever X-rated holiday album, which featured tracks by Blac Chyna, Lil Xan, and Asian Doll. Pornhub even launched their own record label back in 2014 and has since worked with Waka Flocka Flame, Flo Rida, and many more.

This is also not the first time a rapper has been involved in a project with the pornographic site. Back in 2018, Kanye West was tapped to be Pornhub’s creative director for their annual Pornhub Awards. The rapper designed the ceremony’s dildo-shaped trophies, brainstormed a line of merch for the site, and even had all the presenters decked out in Yeezy clothing.

Speaking about the project, Pornhub Vice President Corey Price said their goal is to spread holiday cheer: “We’re excited to bring some holiday cheer to our fans with our ‘XXXmas’ holiday album. It’s a star-studded lineup featuring some of today’s most popular musicians.”

Listen to Pornhub’s XXXMas album above.

Forbes has rolled out their annual 30 Under 30 list, and their 2021 class is headlined by some familiar names.

One of the artists featured is Roddy Ricch, who was highlighted for his success in music: In 2020, he won his first Grammy and performed well on the charts with Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial and “The Box.” The piece also discussed Ricch investing in Compton real estate and working on a foundation to promote financial literacy in the city. “Investing in Compton just felt like my duty,” Ricch said.

Also earning a nod was Doja Cat, who had a breakout year in 2020 thanks to “Say So” and her Hot Pink album. Other artists on the list include Lil Baby, Murda Beatz, Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Polo G, Brent Faiyaz, Conan Gray, G Herbo, Ava Max, London On Da Track, and Saweetie.

The publication explained the eligibility requirements of the list, writing, “To be eligible, candidates must be under age 30 as of December 31, 2019, not have appeared on a previous Under 30 list, and show their ability to propel the future of the music industry.” They also noted that this year’s judges were Taylor Swift, Warner Music Group creative officer Mike Caren, singer-songwriter Jill Scott, and Nija Charles.

Check out the full list here.

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

Despite the ongoing pandemic several rappers and their fans have continued to congregate in large groups. Perhaps they’re playing into the mystique of rappers as invulnerable superheroes (disproven several times this year), or they’re just young and naive, but even seeing many of their own being shamed online has yet to prevent young stars from wanting to be seen — or their fans from wanting to see them. Lil Baby, who recently threw a Thanksgiving Eve birthday bash at Spire nightclub in Houston, Texas, is the latest to draw criticism, this time from no less an authority than Houston’s mayor.

Mayor Sylvester Turner spoke with the local news, expressing his displeasure at seeing videos from it cropping up all over social media and revealing that the safety precautions advertised on the flyer weren’t being observed at all. “It’s very disturbing,” he chided. The way I look at it, it’s quite selfish on their part. There are many businesses and managers that are doing the right thing, and I commend them. But there are some who are simply ignoring the healthcare precautions and the protocols.”

While the Spire owners maintained that they were below legal occupancy and even cut Lil Baby’s appearance short when fans rushed the stage, by then, it was likely that the damage had been done. With COVID-19 cases once again spiking across the nation, practicing safety protocols will make all the difference in how long the pandemic continues — and how many lives are lost until then.

Helena Bonham Carter has added her support to recent calls for Netflix’s The Crown to include a disclaimer that emphasizes the show is largely fiction despite being based on real events. Carter, who plays Princess Margaret on the royal family drama, revealed her thoughts on Monday’s episode of The Crown: The Official Podcast where she agreed with the sentiment that Netflix needs to make it clear to viewers that the show has taken creative liberties with its depiction of palace intrigue. The actress feels there should be a distinction between “our version” and the “real version.” Via The Guardian:

“It is dramatised. I do feel very strongly, because I think we have a moral responsibility to say, ‘Hang on guys, this is not … it’s not a drama-doc, we’re making a drama.’ So they are two different entities.”

She called the research by the show’s creator, Peter Morgan, “amazing”, adding: “That is the proper documentary. That is amazing and then Peter switches things up and juggles.”

Bonham Carter’s opinion arrives on the heels of UK culture secretary Oliver Dowden announcing his plans to apply pressure on Netflix to include the disclaimer. “Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact,” Dowden told the Mail on Sunday. As for why the British government is suddenly concerned with the Netflix drama, the show’s recent season includes an unflattering portrayal of Prince Charles and his treatment of the late Princess Diana during their courtship and marriage.

(Via The Crown: The Official Podcast)

Being famous is not always fun. The money and worldwide admiration is not worth it when you regularly have “uncomfortable” encounters in public with strangers, which is what recently happened to Millie Bobby Brown. The Stranger Things star was out Christmas shopping with her mom when a young woman recognized her. “She said, ‘Can I take a video of you?’ I said, ‘Um, no.’ But why would anyone want to be taken a video of? Of me? It’s not like of the both of us,” Brown said on Instagram Live. “I don’t need to justify it to anyone. If I don’t want to be taken a video of, I don’t have to be.”

The fan still wouldn’t leave her alone, however:

Millie continued her story, saying, “I was paying and she walked past me and began to video me again. And I said, ‘I’m a human being. Like, what more can I ask from you?’” The actress began crying, telling fans through tears, “She said, ‘So I can’t take a video of a human being?’ And I said, ‘No, not when I said no.’ It just makes me upset when people try to push the boundary, and I just wish people were more respectful.”

Brown is still only 16 years old, and dealing with her level of fame, from not only Stranger Things but also Enola Holmes and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, can’t be easy for anyone, let alone a teenager. “I’m still trying to navigate this all and it’s still overwhelming,” she added. “Where are my rights to say no?” In a follow-up post, she updated her followers, “I am totally fine now. But was emotional in the moment because I felt uncomfortable and disrespected.”

The Stranger Things writers have her back.

Here’s the Instagram Live video.

(Via E! Online)

Superman 64 is an infamously bad video game. Some argue it is the worst video game ever made. Coming out on the Nintendo 64 in 1999, it quickly became infamous for its rough controls, horrible graphics, and multiple stages that forced you to fly through rings like it was some kind of tutorial level.

Turns out, that wasn’t really how the game was supposed to go. Like many stories in video games that involve giant licenses, the Superman name got in the way of the development of the game, and the developer at the time, “Titus Interactive” was forced to deal with a lot of red tape from Warner Brothers and DC Comics, owners of the Superman IP. What this resulted in was the infamously terrible game we know today, but what about what the game could have been?

A version of that game does exist and it was meant to come out for the PlayStation, but before it could be finished Titus lost the license to Superman and the game never saw the light of day. Over the years prototypes of Superman have leaked out on the internet and as of Monday, we’ve gotten another. This one to Deviant Art of all places.

So what’s so special about this one? Well, it’s 8 months in development later than any other prototype to leak online so far and that means it is far more developed. This means it gives fans a better look into what the intended game was going to look like. It includes missing boss fights and unlike previous versions this prototype doesn’t require a debug mode.

The story of how Superman 64 came into existence is actually pretty fascinating. There are interviews out there with developers such as producer Eric Caen that go a little bit more in depth in to what made Superman 64 such a busted game.

Knowing about all the meddling Warner Brothers and DC Comics had with Superman 64 and the eventual cancellation of Superman for the PlayStation 1, we just can’t help but wonder what could have been if the game had been able to release as the developers intended. It likely wouldn’t have been perfect, as no games from that era of consoles were, but maybe we would have had a passable Superman game. We also could have had a forgettable one. Superman 64 is infamous for being terrible. Would anyone really care if it had released and was just mediocre?

It would be great to see video games, with how far they’ve come, get another shot at a Superman game but the last time rumors surfaced of one it was reportedly passed on by Warner Bros. Perhaps the success Marvel has had in the video game space with Spider-Man and Avengers will make WB and DC Comics change their tune, but for now there just doesn’t seem to be much interest in giving Superman his own game again.

On Monday, Rudy Giuliani and what remains of the Trump campaign’s legal “strike” force held some sort of Hyatt-based “hearing” about their voter-fraud conspiracy. No hair dye meltdown took place, sadly, but it was still a hot mess. In the middle of it all, Arizona certified its election results, further cementing Joe Biden’s POTUS victory. As one might imagine, this hasn’t deterred President Trump from tweeting that he doesn’t want to go anywhere. In fact, he’s still suggesting — for the “legal fund” money, perhaps? those campaign emails are still going strong — that he will not leave the White House.

Will Trump be forcibly dragged out by the Secret Service? That’s entirely possible, or Trump might simply be trolling for dollars. Whatever the case, he responded to a Twitter user who called him “the most popular Republican in history” by tweeting, “Thank you! A lot of Senators and House Members are very happy that I came along. Think I’ll stick around for awhile!”

Whether he actually meant that he’ll barricade himself in the White House, or that he’ll simply maintain a high-profile, who knows? Regardless, it’s dangerous stuff. Trump continued to tweet into oblivion, including a retweet of the far-right’s Mike Cernovich, who can’t accept that Trump lost. Will, Trump won’t accept the truth either. He declared, “Not statistically possible. Rigged Election!” Twitter, of course, added the “this claim about election fraud is disputed” warning.

The most telling part of the evening, though, arrived when the president of the United States retweeted an account with a “catturd2” handle. This person believes that Rudy Giuliani has unveiled a “mountain of evidence” of voter fraud. The handle says it all.

2020, it’s time for you to get outta here.

In 2019, Phoebe Bridgers took to Twitter to declare, “phoebe waller-bridge is the best phoebe bridge.” Bridgers has praised Waller-Bridge on multiple occasions, and now she has had the opportunity to work with the similarly named actor/writer/producer on her video for “Savior Complex,” which is out now on Facebook.

The black-and-white, Waller-Bridge-directed video stars Normal People‘s Paul Mescal. In it, a ragged-looking and injured Mescal steals a car and realizes as he’s driving away that there’s a dog inside. Bridgers makes an appearance as well by delivering some justice.

In an interview from this summer, Bridgers said of Waller-Bridge and Fleabag, “When I finally got around to [watching Fleabag], it destroyed me. It’s so f*cking humanizing in a way that I didn’t even know was allowed. […] The show affected me very deeply. I haven’t gotten around to watching it a second time. It was psychologically taxing for me, like a really hard therapy session. Dirtbag dudes have Larry David and I have Phoebe Waller-Bridge. She strikes a f*cking chord in me. I read an interview with her where she was like, ‘Every time I’m like, ‘Should I tell the truth?’, the answer is yes.’ The best writing is just telling the truth. I feel the same way about Twitter as I do about songs, the only interesting thing you have to share is your own experience.”

Watch the “Savior Complex” video here.

Now that controversial rapper Tekashi 69 is (mostly) back on the streets, the fervor surrounding his case and the other members of the Nine Trey set has died down. However, the cases for many of the members were still ongoing as recently as this morning, when 69 associate Kooda B was sentenced to 54 months in prison, as reported by Complex. After his release, Kooda will be on probation for another three years.

Kooda pled guilty last year to assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering as the trigger man in an attempted shooting of Chicago rapper Chief Keef in New York in June 2018. During the trial, court documents revealed that Tekashi allegedly offered Kooda — real name Kintea McKenzie — $20,000 to shoot Keef outside the Times Square W Hotel. Kooda reportedly settled for just half of that. Tekashi implicated himself in the shooting by allowing himself to be filmed threatening Keef’s cousin Tadoe on FaceTime, saying “I swear to God I got a 30 pack.”

Complex quotes Judge Paul Engelmayer’s comments, in which the judge censured Kooda for his participation in gang activity. “[A] number of the videos you made prior to your arrest in this case seemed to glorify and promote gangs,” he said. “You often held a red bandana, a common symbol of the Bloods, and you made hand gestures believed to be gang symbols. The government’s sentencing letter reproduces your lyrics, which affirmatively promote violence as you rap about shootings and kidnappings and other violence, and guns. And these videos were made through the summer of 2019, long after you had been charged in this case. I found that disappointing. So let me be blunt: you need to grow up and get a more mature perspective on gang activity. If you continue to pursue a career involving rapping and public performances, I hope you will stop romanticizing gang violence. I hope you have learned from this experience that gang violence is not something to celebrate.”

For his part, Kooda expressed his remorse, “That was an extremely foolish choice I made. I allowed myself to look up to and listen to someone with more success and fame. That was not the right thing to do. I regret it and it won’t happen again. I thought he was a good friend. I was excited that he named a song after me.”