Category: Worldwide

Since his latest release, Action Bronson has undergone many lifestyle changes. Not only did the rapper impressively shed 80 pounds over the course of a few months, but he also welcomed a newborn baby. With all the new changes, the rapper is putting energy into new music. On Thursday, Bronson returned with “Latin Grammys,” his first new song of 2020.

Directed by Video Connection, Bronson’s “Latin Grammys” video is filmed to emulate a 1995 World’s Strongest Man competition. Bronson effortlessly lifts up a car with two passengers, bench-presses giant logs, pulls a firetruck, and is eventually crowned the World’s Strongest Man.

About the single, Bronson says the song is a coming-of-age anthem: “It’s all about metamorphosing, this song is about coming of age. I love a good latin-jazz, upbeat vibe. It’s got that funk, you know? You can do all kinds of dances to this song. You know a song is good when you can do all different types of dances to it, and you’re still on rhythm.”

Bronson has yet to reveal whether or not the single is arriving on a larger project. Seeing as the rapper has been adding yearly projects to his catalog since 2017, it’s likely Bronson has something larger in store.

Watch Bronson’s “Latin Grammys” video above.

As more and more of entertainment media moved online over the past few years, some of that media’s more prominent members have increasingly run afoul of the subjects they cover thanks to social media and the like blurring the lines that once separated them. Besides foregoing some of the tenets of journalistic objectivity, many of these new media members have risen to prominence because of their relationships to the public figures they “cover.”

One example is DJ Akademiks, who is neither a DJ nor a journalist, but is one of the most popular figures for hip-hop news — for better or worse — thanks to his tendency to post inside scoops on the doings of controversial figures like his friend Tekashi 69 on Instagram, Twitter, and Twitch. However, that close connection also tends to bring him into conflict with … well, just about everyone in hip-hop. So far, he’s been threatened by members of Migos and Vic Mensa, and ruthlessly roasted by Erykah Badu in an elaborate flame that built up for most of an entire episode of Complex’s Everyday Struggle, on which Akademiks is a co-host.

Add to that list Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, who has carried a longstanding feud with Tekashi 69 that has spilled over to include adjacent figures like Nicki Minaj and Akademiks. When Meek demanded for Akademiks to stop posting about him on Instagram, Akademiks instead needled him by posting him yet again with a snide reply.

Akademiks also referred to Meek as a “hypocrite” for his anti-snitch crusade against Tekashi, saying, “Just remember that Meek Mill is nothing but a hypocrite. I don’t know if you have issues with 6ix9ine, you clearly don’t wanna address it. You got issues with Nicki’s man, you don’t wanna address him. You got issues with Nicki, you don’t wanna address that. Cool, I get it. Ak is supposed to be the dude who you can get everything off on. I’m just trying to tell you that I’m just not into being bullied.”

However, for all that tough talk, Akademiks seems to genuinely be worried about retaliation from Meek, as he revealed during a recent livestream with Tekashi that he heard Meek Mill had put a “green light” on him — essentially ordering associates in the street to attack Akademiks on sight — and he immediately contacted the authorities.

Given Tekashi’s own propensity for inciting animosity and then turning tail to avoid consequences, it seems Akademiks may be letting the celebrity of his position go to his head. Meanwhile, Meek Mill seems disinterested in addressing Akademiks any further; he hasn’t commented about the video as yet, instead focusing his attention on recently restarted NBA season.

Meek Mill is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

In an appearance on the beloved Sixers podcast Rights to Ricky Sanchez, cohosts Spike Eskin and Michael Levin got Joel Embiid to open up about his teammate Ben Simmons and the pair’s unconventional fit on and off the court. There has been some buzz in recent days about Simmons’ newfound willingness to take threes when he’s open, and Embiid praised Simmons’ willingness to get out of his comfort zone and do something that will heighten the ceiling of this Sixers squad.

A h/t to Liberty Ballers for the quote:

“I’m so happy that he finally now understands [how to improve spacing] and I think that’s what it takes for us to win a championship,” Embiid said. “And when you think about it, we’ve only played, this is what, our third year together playing? I mean, a lot of people always, you know, they expect [more]. Like, we’ve only played for three years. The potential that we have. I love him, and I wanna be with him for the rest of my career, because I think he still has a lot of potential and me too. Like, we can get so much better than we are right now, and I don’t see the point of ever playing with somebody else. So, that’s someone that I would love to be playing with for the rest of my career.”

Simmons took two triples in the Sixers’ first scrimmage but has not taken any in the two games since. Over the course of his career, Simmons has attempted 23 threes total. It makes the fit difficult with Embiid, a bruising post play-maker who does the most damage inside.

Embiid touched on much more in a wide-ranging interview with the two biggest Sixers fans on the internet, including his memories of finally getting onto the court; Embiid’s connection with Sixers fans; and a game of “Which is weirder?” going through the entire history of the Process Sixers that features a lot of Embiid abstaining from answering questions.

In his first press conference as the new head coach of the Knicks, Tom Thibodeau predictably had a lot of good things to say about the franchise hiring him for his third opportunity as head coach in the NBA. Still, it was surprising to see Thibodeau proclaim that the Big Apple is “synonymous with winning and championships.” The Knicks have not won an NBA title since 1973, when current color analyst Clyde Frazier was on the court leading the team, and of the major sports teams that have “New York” in their names, the last one to win a title was the New York Giants in 2012.

New York did not hire Thibodeau to win a championship in the near-term. They are a rebuilding team who will likely hope Thibodeau can do exactly what he’s done during stops in Chicago and Minnesota: Get his players to compete hard and develop on-court chemistry. Thibodeau was the front-runner in the search all along, according to reports, and though names like Jason Kidd and Spurs assistant Will Hardy came up during the interview process, Thibodeau was indeed the man to land one of the highest-profile jobs in the NBA.

New lead executive Leon Rose doesn’t want any assumptions to be made about the legitimacy of the search, however, especially because Thibodeau is represented by CAA, the agency where Rose used to run the arm that managed NBA coaches.

From Thibodeau’s perspective, it was also his relationships with Rose and fellow former CAA coach rep William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley that stood out, in addition to the young roster and ample cap space. Young players like Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett do seem to fit the hard-nosed style Thibodeau prefers.

The last bit of news from Thibodeau’s introductory press conference was reported just before Thibodeau logged onto his Zoom call with the media, but has not been confirmed by the team.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Thibodeau’s hiring will coincide with the return of Mike Woodson, who coached the Knicks from 2011-14 and interviewed for the top gig this summer. Woodson has not coached in the NBA since 2018.

The Thibodeau era in New York is already off to an interesting start.

It’s an exciting time for Hannibal fans. With the show now streaming on Netflix, and during a time when audiences are still predominantly stuck at home, there’s a palpable sense of renewed interest in the psycho-thriller food-porn series that was abruptly axed by NBC back in 2015 after its third season.

While fielding questions from Collider on what it would take to make a fourth season happen, Hannibal creator and showrunner Bryan Fuller spoke candidly about his efforts to jump start the show again. While revealing that the rights to the Hannibal characters is somewhat of an issue, the biggest struggle has been getting another network to bite on reviving the show. According to fuller, the cast (including stars Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy) is ready to go, so it’s just a matter of scoring that green light. However, Fuller seems particularly optimistic now that the series is streaming on Netflix, which he hopes sparks enough interest to bring the show back:

I’ve knocked on every door and rang every bell. Martha [De Laurentis] and I, every couple of years, pick up our bags and go door to door and see if anybody’s interested in revisiting. The biggest hurdle is that we were somebody else’s show. What I love about Netflix platforming the show now is there’s an opportunity for it to be seen as a Netflix show and maybe that will reconfigure their appetite, so to speak. But nobody has said anything to me, and believe me, like the nickel hooker on the red light district I am hanging out the window, waving my legs. They know I’m ready.

Of course, Hannibal fans should be aware that Fuller has been talking about his season four hopes for several years. The showrunner also has a reputation for signing onto new series only to abandon them over “creative differences.” He made an ugly exit from American Gods, and he walked away from Star Trek: Discovery before production on the first season even began. But if Hannibal is proving to be an audience draw on Netflix, which is known for giving its creators plenty of creative space, that could be just the right recipe for the long-awaited revival.

(Via Collider)

A dozen foreign language films have been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, including Babel and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but only one has won: Parasite, earlier this year (even if it feels like nine years ago). It was the second consecutive year that a non-English-language movie was nominated for the Academy’s biggest prize after Roma, and according to Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos, Parasite wouldn’t have won without Alfonso Cuarón’s black-and-white stunner paving the way.

“I think Roma had a lot to do with that for Parasite this year. I think the idea that a foreign-language film had 10 Oscar nominations and won three, and the crossover awards categories for foreign-language film, I think really opened the door for Parasite to be as successful as it was,” Sarandos told Variety. He also believes that Netflix’s Okja, from Parasite director-writer Bong Joon-ho, made people “more receptive” to Korean films:

In this year’s second quarter, the share of non-English content viewing rose 33% in the U.S. from the previous year, per Netflix, a metric that controls for factors such as subscriber growth and higher viewing during the pandemic.

Sarandos is making a big claim here, that Netflix played a key role in raising the profile of foreign-language films (looking forward to Criterion’s response!). But I think we can all agree on one thing: Polish erotic thriller 365 Days is going to win Best Picture next year.

(Via Variety)

The best new hip-hop albums coming out this week include projects from Benny, Black Thought, Dai Burger, Drewboy, Shoreline Mafia, and Sleepy Hallow.

With the summer in full swing, it seems any number of rising artists are throwing caution to the breeze to release projects into the ongoing climate of uncertainty, just to maintain some semblance of normality. With touring frozen, many artists are relying on streams from a fickle audience that listens for a week or two and moves on, which may seem like an untenable prospect.

However, with the relative dearth of big names dropping into the normally packed season while promo plans are on hold, this may be the perfect time for newcomers and talents on the cusp to finally make a mark and build the groundswell to become certified stars when the shows are back on. The names above vary from underrated vets (Black Thought) to hungry rookies (Sleepy Hallow), but all are worth checking out.

Here are all the best new hip-hop albums coming out this week.

Benny Presents Black Soprano Family — The Respected Sopranos

Despite being the only member of the core Griselda Records trio without at least an EP release out so far this year, Benny cedes his spotlight here to his BSF labelmates Heem, Jonesy, Loveboat Luciano, and Ricky Hyde. The quintet is overseen by DJ Drama and his classic Gangsta Grillz series drops, while the production on singles “Da Mob” and “It’s Over” seemingly promise a similar experience to the grimy, soulful, throwback sounds Griselda fans have become accustomed to.

Black Thought — Streams Of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane And Abel [EP]

The latest installment of Black Thought’s Streams Of Thought series arrives amid some truly horrible news for The Roots founder and lead MC. His fellow Roots crew member Malik B has passed away, leaving Thought to reflect on how his friendly rivalry with his partner-in-rhyme helped turn him into one of the best rappers in the game, hands down. He’ll continue to earn that reputation here, over beats produced by Sean C.

Dai Burger — Dessert [EP]

We last heard from unapologetic New Yorker Dai Burger in 2019 with the release of her sophomore studio album, Bite The Burger. While Dai Burger is still simmering just below the surface of New York’s mainstream rap scene, she’s got all the tools to become one of the genre’s star attractions. Dessert once against finds her wisecracking her way over some truly undeniable beats, while dropping the occasional insightful gem in the process.

Drewboy — Personality

A new-ish rapper hailing from the streets of Philadelphia, Drewboy’s high-energy freestyles captured the attention of fellow native Meek Mill, as well as Meek’s MMG business partner Rick Ross, who reportedly expressed interest in signing the rowdy youngster after meeting him at a local radio station. Drewboy is still a largely unproven talent but with aspirations to trade bars with DaBaby, he certainly has the energy to attract — and keep — the attention needed for survival in the once-again raucous rap scene.

Shoreline Mafia — Mafia Bidness

After bubbling on the West Coast underground circuit for the past four years, the party rap quartet is finally releasing their major-label debut this weekend, a culmination of three mixtapes, a set of wild tours and festival appearances, and a burgeoning fan base thirsty for more of their hedonistic, just left-of-gangsta-style raps. With Fenix Flexin apparently returning to the fold alongside Master Kato, OhGeesy, and Rob Vicious, they appear to once again be at full strength and ready to keep the turn-up turning up with their debut, which features 03 Greedo, Drakeo The Ruler, Duke Deuce, Lil Yachty, Wiz Khalifa, and YG, among others.

Sleepy Hallow — The Black House [EP]

Debuting earlier this year with Sleepy For President, the Brooklyn drill MC is working to keep the momentum from his driving studio album introduction going — along with seizing some of the attention the drill scene has received since Pop Smoke’s breakout, death, and posthumous album release. Fellow drill star Sheff G appears twice on the five-track EP, which also features Jay Guwapo and “Don’t Panic 2,” the sequel to one of his President-ial standouts.

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

A.G. Cook may not be a household name, but he’s the mastermind behind some of today’s biggest releases. Most notably, the producer worked with Charli XCX for her recent quarantine album How I’m Feeling Now and her acclaimed effort Pop 2, as well as Jónsi’s upcoming LP Shiver. Highly prolific, Cook debuted the short EP Airhorn last month under the moniker DJ Lifeline and now he’s gearing up for an even bigger project.

On Thursday, Cook shared the 7-minute chilled-out megamix “7G” and announced an eponymous release. Per his sound, 7G is nothing but conventional. Keeping in line with the number seven, 7G features seven discs, each with seven tracks which combine to form an impressive 49-song effort. Along with boasting some originals, 7G features remixes of songs by Taylor Swift, Sia, Smashing Pumpkins, Blur, and more. The producer also tapped well-known artists to lend vocals on the project like Caroline Polachek and Tommy Cash.

Listen to “7G” megamix above and see AG Cook’s 7G cover art and tracklist below.

Disc 1 – A. G. Drums
1. “A-Z”
2. “Acid Angel”
3. “H2O”
4. “Drum Solo”
5. “Nu Crush”
6. “Gemstone Break”
7. “Silver”

Disc 2 – A. G. Guitar
1. “Gold Leaf”
2. “Being Harsh”
3. “Undying”
4. “Drink Blood”
5. “Lil Song”
6. “Beetlebum” (Blur cover)
7. “Superstar (Live At Secret Sky)”

Disc 3 – A. G. Supersaw
1. “Mad Max”
2. “Illuminated Biker Gang”
3. “Soft Landing”
4. “Overheim”
5. “DJ Every Night”
6. “Car Keys”
7. “Dust”

Disc 4 – A. G. Piano
1. “Oracle”
2. “Note Velocity”
3. “Windows”
4. “Feeling”
5. “Waldhammer”
6. “Polyphloisboisterous”
7. “Anything Could Happen”

Disc 5 – A. G. Nord
1. “Behind Glass”
2. “Oohu”
3. “The Best Day” (Taylor Swift Cover)
4. “Triptych Demon”
5. “Official” (Charli XCX Cover)
6. “Crimson”
7. “Life Speed”

Disc 6 – A. G. Spoken Word
1. “Could It Be”
2. “The End Has No End” (The Strokes Cover)
3. “No Yeah”
4. “Green Beauty”
5. “Unreal”
6. “2021
7. “Hold On”

Disc 7 – A. G. Extreme Vocals
1. “Today” (Smashing Pumpkins Cover)
2. “Chandelier” (Sia Cover)
3. “Idyll” (Life Sim Cover)
4. “Show Me What”
5. “Somers Tape”
6. “Crimson And Clover” (Tommy James And Shondells Cover)
7. “Alright”

7G is out 8/12 via PC Music. Pre-order it here.

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

Johnny Depp’s libel trial against British tabloid The Sun (over an April 2018 article that labeled Depp as a “wife-beater”) has seen many jaw-dropping revelations over the past three weeks. Of particular relevance to this discussion are allegations that Amber Heard had an extramarital affair with Elon Musk. Although Musk and Heard later had a relationship, she denied the cheating allegations and pushed back at the long list of other male celebrities (including James Franco and Billy Bob Thornton) that Depp’s side raised as possibilities for other alleged affairs.

For days after the Musk allegations arose in court, the SpaceX CEO stayed silent, but over the weekend, the New York Times published a profile of Musk, who responded, “I definitely was not having an affair with Amber while she was married to Johnny, this is totally false.” A bit later, he added, “If Johnny wants a cage fight, just let me know,.”

Columnist Maureen Dowd noted that Musk appeared “mischievous” and giggled, so in all likelihood, he was joking and doesn’t really want to throw down in a Pay-Per-View fight, but hey, he could always rethink things, right? If that happens, then John Kavanagh — who coached former Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor — will gladly sign up to train the Tesla titan.

“If you need a coach let me know @elonmusk,” tweeted Kavanagh. He then admitted, “I kinda hope he’d throw me a Tesla if I do a good job.”

Granted, this wouldn’t be a fair fight regardless of whether or not Musk specifically trained for the occasion. After all, Depp has been known to fall asleep while eating ice cream, so he’s probably not walking around in fighting shape. But you never know… Jack Sparrow could get scrappy.

Still, former Bodog Fight bantamweight champion Tara LaRosa tweeted support for Kavanagh’s idea, calling it “outstanding.” Yeah, this fight 99.99% will not happen, but maybe they’ll decide to do something tamer, like a flag-football match for charity or something.

Beyonce is at a level of fame where it’s not necessary for her to aggressively promote her work; If she puts out something new, the world will excitedly share the news for her. So, she doesn’t tend to give a ton of interviews or do a lot of promo. However, with Black Is King premiering tonight on Disney+, she decided to make a rare TV appearance to talk about the project.

She provided a pre-recorded clip of her talking about Black Is King to Good Morning America, which aired this morning. Between shots of her speaking from her home are some clips from the movie. Beyonce says in the video:

“Black Is King is finally here. I’m so excited you guys get to watch it tonight on Disney+. It’s been a year in the making. I worked with a diverse group of very gifted directors and actors and creatives from all over the world to re-imagine the story of The Lion King. The narrative unfolds through music videos, fashion, dance, beautiful natural settings, and raw, new talent.

But it all started in my backyard. So, from my house, to Johannesburg to Ghana to London to Belgium to the Grand Canyon, it was truly a journey to bring this film to life. And my hope for this film is that it shifts the global perception of the word ‘Black,’ which has always meant inspiration and love and strength and beauty to me. ‘Black Is King‘ means Black is regal and rich in history, in purpose, and in lineage. I hope y’all love it, I hope you enjoy, and I hope y’all see it tonight.”

Watch Beyonce’s Good Morning America appearance below.