Living in Arizona, it’s become increasingly clear that safely going out and about won’t be happening anytime in the near future as the swift shedding of precautions and care from the general public and state government has led to a massive spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitals once again near capacity.
Now a good three months into some form of quarantine life, many of us have found ourselves creating and settling into a new routine for this new normal, both with regards to work and free time. It’s also meant finding new escapes from that routine in an effort to shake free from stagnation that seems so easy to slip into right now. For my fiancee and I, that’s meant exploring a bit deeper into the Nintendo Switch catalog to find some games that can bridge the divide of our otherwise very different video game preferences.
I almost exclusively play sports games and always have. I’ve never been interested in — and have always been terrible at — first-person shooters, and have never had the attention span for games that require you to log long hours to complete. My fiancee, while an avid sports fan, never really played sports games growing up and has little interest in them, instead preferring games like Spyro and other quest-type adventures. Finding games we can both play can be a bit of a challenge, but we were able to bridge that gap — and test our communication skills and patience — with the equal parts frustrating and hilarious 2016 title Overcooked, which also has a sequel from 2018.
The premise of Overcooked is pretty simple, you run a kitchen to put together plates in the right order while battling various obstacles of increasing difficulty in different locations before time runs out. It is part puzzle, part quest, and part competition, which gave us a rare game that crossed over into both of our gaming interests — also while only taking about 12 hours to get through, but with imminent replayability.
As you go through the worlds, you encounter different obstacles that require you to crack the code for how to most efficiently get food chopped, cooked, on the plate, and out the window. Sometimes that means you’re on a boat, where the counters slide as the boat rocks, changing who has to be in charge of what. Sometimes you’re in space and have to cooperate on opening doors for the other person so they can get to ingredients. Sometimes your kitchen is split in half, separated by a river that you have to cross ice flows to reach the other side. All of them will test your relationship with your partner (or roommate or whomever else you’re playing with), and whether you can effectively communicate what you need and where you need help.
There were moments where I wanted to snap my Joy-con in half after being unable to figure out how the hell we could get enough points for three stars after a 10th attempt at a level. Other times, we had to pause the game because we couldn’t stop laughing because my wheelchair-bound raccoon chef slid off an iceberg, resulting in a kitchen fire because something didn’t get pulled from a deep fryer soon enough, erupting into flames while I helplessly waited to re-spawn. Throughout it all, we had to collaborate on a plan, communicate when things went array, and cover for the other when one of us inevitably screwed up.
On its face, it’s a silly game about cooking burgers and soups and fish and chips under disastrous and absurd circumstances, but there’s a depth to the game that I absolutely wasn’t expecting when we downloaded it because it was on sale for $7 on the Switch store and sounded kinda fun. A couple hours a night melted off the clock as we laughed and cursed at this increasingly and infuriatingly tricky game, and in the process helped force us to articulate frustrations and thoughts because it was the only way to achieve success.
Overcooked is an absurd, yet perfect test of your relationship’s communication skills, cloaked in the facade of lakes of lava, haunted kitchens, and a literal spaghetti monster threatening the apocalypse if you don’t feed it fast enough.
Chicago rapper Lil Durk is about a month removed from the release of his latest album, Just Cause Y’all Waited 2, so naturally it’s the perfect time for him to follow-up with a deluxe version since that’s the new trend in hip-hop. However, he promises that “this sh*t ain’t regular the deluxe” and boasts that he’s “saving the streets again” in the Instagram post announcing the deluxe version’s release date: June 26.
Durk’s made good use of the time preceding his impending case for attempted murder in Atlanta, passing out hot meals on the streets of his native Windy City and making sure that he releases as much new music as possible to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Footage from his food handout became the music video for his single “Street Prayer,” while he also made sure to pass the torch of Chicago hip-hop to a worthy successor, Polo G, on “3 Headed Goat.”
Ironically, Durk was cleared to travel for work while on house arrest at the end of 2019, just a few months before COVID-19 locked down most of hip-hop. Like many of his peers and contemporaries, he had to pivot on the fly to compensate for the lost income. With the deluxe version of Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 on the way, he should be able to do just that.
Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 deluxe is due 6/26 via Alamo.
You know what you clicked on — we’re here to talk about Supreme. A label with such a massive pop-culture footprint that it’s created scores of people who construct their entire identities out of either loving the brand or hating it with a passion. Stunts like branded bricks and Oreos plus hundreds of high-priced name brand collaborations have turned what was once a fairly accessible skatewear-company-gone-mainstream into a source of endless hype, speculation, and controversy.
When a Supreme drop hits, it’s not just another streetwear brand unloading new products. It’s an event presaged by trending hashtags and leaving an aftermarket economy in its wake. People line up around stores (or used to, pre-COVID, now they queue up in digital lines) eager to get their hands on a coveted Supreme shirt or hat or hoodie the moment it hits the shelves. Their fervor is admirable… though it’s all in the service of a multinational corporation mostly-owned by an even bigger conglomerate.
Like the modern wristwatch for business types, Supreme shirts have become a sort of statement piece amongst the streetwear obsessed. The “box tee” is particularly iconic and has seen thousands of iterations over the decades. By looking back at these designs — from 1994 all the way to 2020 — you can get a sense of why the brand blew up in the first place. It’s a bit of history and a whole lot of freshness.
Here are the absolute best t-shirts, shirts, and long sleeves that Supreme has ever released.
Supreme Box Logo Tee, 1994
Gucci Mane Supreme
What better place to start than the original? The Supreme Box Logo has become synonymous with the brand and reflects the minimalist aesthetic favored by Supreme. But Supreme’s logo, which consists of an iconic rectangular square with “Supreme” written in a Futura font owes everything to the artist they lifted the design from, Barbara Kruger, who used the format to explore anti-capitalist pro-feminist messaging in her art.
Supreme Arabic Longsleeve, 1999
The only design to rival Supreme’s original Box Logo, the Supreme Arabic Longsleeve is a hypebeast collector’s item, often selling for up to five times its original price. Why are they so popular? We have no idea. The design is both dope and simple and has somehow become so recognizable that people in the know can tell that it’s Supreme, even if they can’t read what it says.
Supreme “Ali vs Superman” Tee, 2000
We’re not sure what’s cooler, this t-shirt showing Muhammad Ali squaring off with Superman or the fact that this was an actual DC comic storyline? Either way, we still dig it twenty years later, and in this current comic book obsessed society, we’re surprised the brand hasn’t put out more shirts celebrating the source material of every movie on the planet — comics.
Which reminds us, we need that Superman VS Ali movie immediately. It couldn’t be worse than Superman VS. Batman
Supreme “Happy Holidays” Tee, 2001
As you’ll find out from this list, Supreme has a weird obsession with making Christmas sexy. So when the brand teamed up with New York artist Olivia De Berardinis, who made a whole art series of erotic Christmas cards, it probably surprised no one. Still made for some dope NSFW shirts though.
Supreme “F*** Nike” Tee, 2001
This one is a little funny considering how many times the brand has since collaborated with Nike — the very brand they’re throwing shade to on this shirt — since 2001. It’s hard to think of a world where Supreme wasn’t the brand that single-handedly defined streetwear, but 2001 was that time. Was this a case of anti-establishment posturing or just a kill your idols moment for the brand?
Given the recent team-ups, we’re going to say it was the latter.
Supreme Ewing Tee, 2002
This piece, commemorating the Knick’s scoring Patrick Ewing as a draft pick, is a bit out of left-field for the brand. Without seeing the tag, no one would blame you for assuming the brand would ever go for something so graphic-heavy and stylized. Assumptions aside, the shirt looks dope and that’s really all that matters.
Supreme/Bill Thomas Tee, 2003
Supreme’s roots are steeped in skate culture, so a lot of the brand’s early work outside of the realm of the box logo featured t-shirt-sized prints of photos like this t-shirt featuring the work of legendary street photographer Bill Thomas.
Supreme x Martha Cooper, 2004
In 2004, Supreme linked up with photojournalist Martha Cooper for a collection of long sleeves that showcased the artist’s most well-known photographs, which mostly consist of portraits of New York City life. Cooper made a name for herself by documenting the graffiti and street art scene of the 70’s and 80’s, and the vivid realism of her work recalls New York in a grittier era.
Supreme “Hebrew” Box Logo Tee, 2004
Supreme dropped this special box logo t-shirt in celebration of a new Los Angeles store that opened in 2004. The brick and mortar spot opened up in a Jewish neighborhood and to signify that the brand was there to be a part of the community, not to gentrify, they dropped these Hebrew sporting box-logos.
If nothing else, the t-shirts prove that the brand’s logo is so iconic that it looks cool in any language.
Supreme Shawn Mortensen Longsleeve, 2005
Made in collaboration with photographer Shawn Mortensen, this longsleeve from 2005 celebrated Mexico’s Zapatistas — the members/supporters of a Mexican revolutionary force striking for agrarian and social reforms — and dropped in three different iterations that visually explored the importance of the uprising. While Supreme normally just slaps a photo on a shirt and calls it a day, this collaboration was unique in it’s all-over printed execution.
Supreme “Raekwon” Tee, 2005
Is this the best Supreme t-shirt ever made? You could certainly argue that, but all we’ll say is that it’s a Supreme t-shirt that features Raekwon and his gun-touting bodyguard wearing Supreme box logo t-shirts while holding a tickle-me-Elmo.
Who are we kidding? Of course, it’s the best Supreme t-shirt ever made.
Supreme x New York Yankees, 2006
Supreme
A must-own for both Supreme and Yankee fans, the Supreme New York Yankees jersey features Supreme branding in the style of the New York baseball team and stays repping the NYC hard.
Supreme/PHASE 2 All Over Print Tee, 2007
The world of graffiti has PHASE 2 (Lonny Wood) to thank for popularizing the “bubble letter’ style of graffiti and Supreme paid tribute to the street artist in 2007 with a collection of all-over-print tees featuring Wood’s art.
Supreme “Joe Cool/Doggystyle” Tee, 2007
Supreme
Before Joe Cool become a household name amongst OG hip-hop heads for his artwork on Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle album, he was just a dude who made art featuring dogs. Supreme celebrated the work of the artist in 2007 with this t-shirt that looks like it should be the cover of a Doggystyle B-Sides collection called In The Dogg Den.
Supreme Kermit Tee, 2008
A lot of the success enjoyed by the brand stems from Supreme’s obsession with artists and counterculture figures. Their portrait t-shirts, like this dope Kermit the Frog iteration, recall famous photo series by photographers like Andy Warhol and Terry Richardson.
Supreme x Ralph Bakshi Longsleeve, 2008
Ralph Bakshi’s Coonskin is still a work of media that people don’t quite know how to feel about. The 1975 live-action/animated crime film — which acted as a rebuke of Disney’s racist past (particularly the often forgotten Song of the South) and offered a satirical take on live-action Blaxploitation films — garnered divisive reactions in 1975 when it was released, provoking conversations about offensive depictions of race through animation’s history.
Brushes with controversy are like cat-nip to Supreme, which is exactly why they dropped a collection of longsleeves featuring stills straight from the movie. To this day they remain popular pieces of Supreme history on the aftermarket.
Supreme “Miles Davis” Tees, 2008
Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue is an absolute classic and in celebration of the album’s 50th anniversary, Supreme dropped a collection of t-shirts featuring a portrait of the jazz trumpeter as well as details about the album’s three distinct releases in 1959, 1968, and 1972.
Supreme x Malcolm McLaren “Duck Rock” Tee, 2009
In 1983, visual artist, designer, and promoter of the New York Dolls and the Sex Pistols Malcolm McLaren dropped a solo album called Duck Rock that featured the art of Keith Haring. In 2009, Supreme paid tribute to the art and album by printing it on this t-shirt, forever immortalizing this obscure 80s gem.
Supreme “Morton’s Salt” Tee, 2010
Supreme has continually captured the counter-culture spirit of skateboarding. They’re also an “ask for forgiveness rather than permission” brand, which has given us gems like this Morton Salt logo sporting graphic t-shirt. Supreme swapped out “Morton’s” for their own name and added the words “Born Alone Die Alone” in small text in place of Morton’s catchphrase, “When it rains it pours.”
They were, not surprisingly, hit with a cease and desist letter.
Supreme x Clash Tees, 2010
Supreme
While this definitely wouldn’t have gone down if Joe Strummer was still alive, Supreme’s collection of t-shirts celebrating the punk band The Clash are pretty damn dope. Printed on black or white tees, The Clash collection mostly played with imagery and the lyrical content found throughout the band’s discography.
Supreme “Red Cross Society” Tee, 2011
Supreme
A simple t-shirt made to benefit the Japanese Red Cross Society after devastating tsunamis hit the country in 2011, the Supreme Red Cross Society t-shirt from 2011 remains one of Supreme’s most covered box logo crossovers.
Supreme “Hennessey” Jersey, 2011
Popularized in the video for Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones Pt. II” after being worn in a blue and red iteration by rappers Havoc and Prodigy, Supreme’s Hennessey Jersey became an instant classic and a must-have amongst streetwear enthusiasts of the early 2010s.
Supreme “Little Red Riding Hood” Tee, 2012
In 2012, Supreme borrowed the art of American illustrator Jessie Wilcox Smith for a creepy graphic t-shirt highlighting the children’s story Little Red Riding Hood.
Supreme x Stax Records Tee, 2012
Supreme
When it comes to classic soul music, the first record label that comes to a lot of people’s minds is Motown. Supreme attempted to correct that trend in 2012 with the release of their Stax t-shirt. Stax has a roster of soul legends, from Otis Redding and Issac Hayes, to the Staple Singers and Aretha Franklin and has established itself as a pioneer of the sound of Memphis soul as a whole. The label’s iconic logo looks great printed across a Supreme black t-shirt.
Supreme “Campbell’s Soup” Tee, 2012
Where would Supreme be without the “contemporary modern art” section of your local museum? Ironically enough, while this seems like a collaboration between Supreme and the estate of Andy Warhol, it’s actually a collaboration between Supreme and Campbell’s Soup. Though it’s clear where they got the idea from.
Supreme “Black Moses” Tee, 2012
Another piece from Supreme’s Stax Records collaboration, this t-shirt borrows the full image from Isaac Hayes’ Black Moses LP for the coolest t-shirt featuring Issac Hayes ever. We’re just glad they didn’t go with the covered to Hot Buttered Soul on this one.
Supreme “Jean-Michel Basquiat” Shirt, 2013
Perhaps Supreme’s best art-inspired piece, 2013’s Jean-Michel Basquiat shirt took work straight from the artist’s canvas and slapped it on a button-down long sleeve shirt. But what is simple in concept, is beautiful in execution. To this day — seven years later — it still looks fresh as all hell, which has us all itching for a brand new Basquiat collection out of Supreme.
Supreme “Boris Vallejo” Raglan, 2014
The source of a fair bit of online controversy upon its release, this Supreme long sleeve captures the brand at its most shocking. Teaming up with Peruvian painter Boris Vallejo, Supreme highlighted Vallejo’s particular blend of hyper-realism and old-world fantasy by slapping one of his canvases on the front of a long sleeve shirt.
This is undeniably the type of shirt that only Supreme can pull off.
Supreme x Nike Basketball Jerseys, 2014
Supreme
Not everyone can rock these Supreme basketball jerseys made in collaboration with Nike, but that didn’t stop people from showing up to the launch. So many people turned up to the NYC drop, which also featured a fresh pair of Nike Foamposites to match, that the event had to be shut down by the police.
Supreme UNDERCOVER Witch Tee, 2018
Supreme and Japanese streetwear brand UNDERCOVER dropped a collection in 2018, the highlight being this green box logo featuring the wicked witch of the west. It may be the only time the box logo has ever dropped in green.
Supreme x Louis Vuitton Denim Baseball Jersey, 2017
Supreme
If you want to look like you’re walking off the set of a Migo’s music video, grab the Supreme Louis Vuitton denim baseball jersey and call it a day.
Supreme x Louis Vuitton Silk Pajama Shirt, 2017
Supreme
When Supreme teamed up with Louis V in 2017 and delivered the denim baseball jersey, they also unloaded some nightwear on us by way of their swanky silk pajama shirts. In both navy blue and white, Supreme managed to make the only pajama shirts to ever look good enough to wear outside of the bedroom.
Supreme “Scarface” Sweater, 2017
Supreme
It’s hard to imagine if there will ever be a generation that doesn’t think Scarface is just inherently cool. Is it overrated? Definitely, but that works because so is Supreme. None of that means these things aren’t also pretty cool!
Supreme’s Scarface sweater may not have made you as fashionable as Tony Montana himself, but its a dope piece out of the brand’s archives.
Supreme “Sade” Tee, 2017
Supreme has a knack for highlighting artists and cultural figures who never seem to go out of style. Which is a great strategy when you’re a clothing company. Case and point, Sade. Does it get any better than a graphic tee with Sade on it?
It doesn’t, and yet Supreme has yet to drop a line that celebrates each of her records. Get on that Supreme.
Supreme x Rap-A-Lot Records Tee, 2017
Supreme
Supreme stayed highlighting dope musical artists and records in 2017, like this collaboration with Rap-A-Lot Records that pays homage to an iconic Geto Boys album.
Supreme Xmas Tee, 2017
Supreme’s Xmas t-shirt is supremely weird. From far away, it looks like a harmless design, but once you get close enough you’ll realize that the shirt’s pattern is a series of red and green skeletons in Santa hats striking NSFW poses, which is just so Supreme.
It’s tongue in cheek, slightly shocking, but mostly funny, which might as well be the brand’s ethos.
Supreme Nas Photo Tee, 2017
Like sexy Christmas t-shirts, Supreme has an obsession with dropping shirts that feature portraits of famous artists wearing the brand. The concept hardly ever gets better than this iteration featuring hip-hop legend Nas.
Supreme x HYSTERIC GLAMOUR Tee, 2017
Like the Morton’s Salt t-shirt, Supreme took an iconic design — in this case, a plastic bag from a bodega — and swapped some words around for this collaboration with Hysteric Glamour. It’s mean-spirited, capturing the brand at their most bratty and anti-establishment, and slightly ironic given how the brand has become a household name.
In 2020, you could argue that in the world of streetwear, Supreme IS the establishment. Clearly, they’ve managed that by pretending not to be.
Supreme Mike Hill Tees, 2017
Supreme
Thanks to high profile collaborations with the likes of luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, it’s easy to forget that Supreme got its start in the world of skateboarding. Which is exactly why they should do more collaborative drops like this t-shirt collection with Alien Workshop art director Mike Hill — featuring Hill’s trademark paper-máchê dioramas in four different variations.
Supreme x Thrasher Boyfriend Shirt, 2017
Supreme
In tribute to its skater roots, the brand teamed up with Thrasher Magazine for a collection of comic-sporting button-ups that became instant classics amongst streetwear collectors everywhere.
Supreme x Public Enemy Rayon Shirt, 2018
Supreme
All right, so this isn’t exactly a t-shirt, but how could we not highlight this collection of rayon shirts celebrating Public Enemy’s “Fear of a Black Planet” album? The shirts dropped in 2018 in red, green, and reverse black and white colorways that feature the group’s classic crosshairs logo.
Fighting the power never looked this fashionable.
Supreme Hellraiser BDU Shirts, 2018
Supreme
We’ve always been a little torn on this release. Hellraiser is straight up a bad film. Classic, sure, but bad. We wouldn’t want a jacket with Pinhead on the back and yet, how could anyone pass up the army green or maroon/grey camo colorway from this collection? It toes the wack-fly line perfectly.
Supreme Jacquard Tartan Plaid Tee, 2018
Supreme
You could’ve laughed at Supreme in 2018 for dropping a line of colorful Jacquard Tartan Plaid t-shirts because they were delivering something that looked straight out of a child’s closet. But that was before we were all quarantined in our homes playing a video game in which our primary concerns were buying new threads (that look like these very shirts) from two hedgehogs, or trying to rake in massive dough on the turnip market.
2018 was a way less weird time. These shirts have aged well as the world has spiraled.
Supreme Necklace Tee, 2018
Supreme and the rock band Saliva teamed up in 2018 for a t-shirt that repurposes the cover of Saliva’s Every Six Seconds and swaps out the “Saliva” chain for one that reads “Supreme.” I think the shirt is more popular than the album.
Supreme Dead Prez Collection, 2019
Supreme
Made in collaboration with Dead Prez, Supreme paid tribute to the group’s debut album Let’s Get Free with a collection of hoodies, t-shirts, jackets, and snapback caps that feature dual Dead Prez and Supreme branding.
Supreme Pillows T-shirt, 2019
Supreme
Supreme dropped a collection of simple-branded graphic t-shirts in 2019 that strayed from their usual box-logo minimalism and one of the best was this Supreme Pillows t-shirt. It looks like something straight out of a 90s stop-motion animation, so we don’t blame you if you’re having a hard time realizing that those are pillows spelling out “supreme” and not just some weird type of sea urchin.
Supreme American Cheese, 2019
Supreme
A pack of American cheese over a camo shirt — how is it that Supreme is able to make that simple and random idea look so cool?
Supreme My Bloody Valentine Collection, 2020
Supreme
Grabbing imagery from the albums and eps of legendary shoegaze band, My Bloody Valentine, Supreme dropped a full collection of t-shirts, hoodies, and Rayon shirts that celebrated the 90s band and offered one of the brand’s best cross-over collaborations of the year.
Supreme Waves Longsleeve, 2020
Supreme
In 2020 as part of their 14th Spring/Summer 2020 drop, Supreme blessed us with a collection of work jackets, t-shirts, ceramic bowls, and jeans made in collaboration with Waves that feature a menacing koi fish pattern. We dig this design but in truth have no knowledge of how popular it actually is on the streets, as this collection dropped in the early days of national lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Supreme Takashi Murakami Box Logo, 2020
Supreme
What better way to bookend this list than with the Supreme Box Logo? Released in 2020 in an effort to raise money for HELP USA, a charity organization in Brooklyn that provided aid for people facing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Takashi Murakami Box Logo updates the classic design with the inclusion of Murakami’s trademark flower motif.
A dope design for a good cause — what’s better than that.
Last Friday was Juneteenth, and to celebrate, many artists released music commemorating the holiday. Beyonce shared the single “Black Parade” as a way to honor her Texas roots and spotlight Black culture and history. Now, Beyonce has followed the official release by granting fans an a cappella version of the song.
Released exclusively on Tidal, Beyonce’s a cappella version of her single strips the instrumentals to just the vocal track, allowing her far-reaching harmonies to shine through. “I’m going back to the South / I’m going back, back, back, back / Where my roots ain’t watered down / Growing, growing like a baobab tree / Of life on fertile ground, ancestors put me on game,” she sings.
Alongside sharing the original version of the track Friday, Beyonce announced her new initiative Black Parade Route. The project compiles a lengthy directory of Black artists, creators, businesses, and services. Furthermore, proceeds from Beyonce’s “Black Parade” track benefits the singer’s foundation BEYGood and its Black Business Impact Fund, which offers financial assistance to Black-owned small businesses in need. “I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle. Please continue to remember our beauty, strength and power,” Beyonce wrote about the project on Instagram.
Listen to the a cappella version of Beyonce’s “Black Parade” on Tidal here.
Three years ago today, Vince Staples released his second full-length album, Big Fish Theory, which included influences from electronic music much more prominently than most of its contemporaries. Now, Staples has taken some time to commemorate the album, doing so by taking to Twitter and sharing some thoughts for fans who didn’t appreciate the record.
Staples tweeted, “I remember when y’all tried to kill me for challenging myself creatively but y’all hairlines pushed bacc so it never phased me.” Staples also noted that he will continue his stylistic experimentation in future releases, writing, “Album 3 finna push the limits too I might get a verse from John Coyega.” When a fan responded by saying that FM! was actually Staples’ third album, he answered, “I hate when you n****s try to tell God where heaven at rebrand your Twitter.”
Another user chimed in by tweeting, “Please don’t drop no weirdo techno sh*t man.” Staples referenced the person’s Twitter profile in his response, writing, “Your header a Honda you don’t make the rules.”
Then another fan commented, “Hey I still think Big Fish Theory was your worst project, objectively speaking, but I’m sorry if you felt like your fans giving you honest feedback and not mindlessly supporting everything you do was a problem.” To that, Staples answered, “Idc what y’all do as long as y’all wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap & hot water and follow precautions to help limit the spread of COVID – 19.”
Staples then wrapped up the conversation by closing, “I love all of y’all have a good day.”
Check out Staples’ tweets below, and revisit our review of Big Fish Theoryhere.
Idc what y’all do as long as y’all wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap & hot water and follow precautions to help limit the spread of COVID – 19 https://t.co/k9L74nguPK
Novak Djokovic is one of the world’s best tennis players, but has had some dramatically terrible views on the COVID-19 pandemic. The Serbian tennis star has said he would refuse a vaccine, broke Spanish stay-at-home orders by practicing at a tennis club, and most recently hosted a charity tennis tournament for COVID-19 relief that practiced almost no social distancing and saw players partying in clubs at night.
The tournament was cut short prior to Djokovic playing in the finals after Grigor Dmitrov tested positive after playing in a match, and with the news Tuesday that Djokovic has tested positive, there are now four players that participated in the Adria Tour event that have contracted the virus. Djokovic released a statement on Tuesday (via the Associated Press) apologizing to the players that were infected.
“Unfortunately, this virus is still present, and it is a new reality that we are still learning to cope and live with. I am hoping things will ease with time so we can all resume lives the way they were,” Djokovic said in a statement released Tuesday. “I am extremely sorry for each individual case of infection. I hope that it will not complicate anyone’s health situation and that everyone will be fine.”
After Djokovic’s announcement, video pulled from Instagram showing the tennis star partying at a club made the rounds on social media and drew quite the response from Nick Kyrgios, who is often criticized for his behavior on the tennis court and said he doesn’t want to hear any of it after what Djokovic did in a pandemic.
Prayers up to all the players that have contracted Covid – 19. Don’t @ me for anything I’ve done that has been ‘irresponsible’ or classified as ‘stupidity’ – this takes the cake. https://t.co/lVligELgID
It’s a fair retort as Kyrgios clearly wants to put into perspective the difference between antics on the court that, while unbecoming and at times uncalled for, are not as serious in the grand scheme of things as ignoring a global pandemic and putting people at risk because you insist you should be able to party.
Djokovic remains asymptomatic and will self-isolate for 14 days, and it will be interesting to see if his personal experience with the virus will change his tone going forward on events taking added precautions and safety protocols.
The death of Joel Schumacher at age 80 led to an outpouring of tributes from those who worked with the director of multiple Batman movies, as well as 1980s favorites like The Lost Boys, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Flatliners. Several actors expressed gratitude for Schumacher providing them with lessons and opportunities, but Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey believes that his career probably would have fizzled out if not for the A Time To Kill director taking a risk on a relative unknown like himself.
McConaughey revealed in a statement to Variety that his small roles prior to the 1996 legal thriller did not make him a contender for the leading role in a high-profile John Grisham adaptation. Not only did Schumacher provide support when McConaughey didn’t believe he could pull off Jake Brigance, the director actually went to bat, big time:
“Joel not only took a chance on me, he fought for me. Knowing the studio might never approve a relatively unknown like myself for the lead in ‘A Time to Kill,’ he set up a secret screen test for me on a Sunday morning in a small unknown studio because as he stated, ‘Even if you do great, you may not get the part, so I don’t want the industry to ever think you screen tested and DID NOT get the job.”
Not only did McConaughey tell this story to Variety, but George Clooney (who appeared in Schumacher’s Batman and Robin, bat-nipples and all) offered up confirmation: “His career was absolutely started by Joel fighting for him in A Time To Kill.” That, right there, is solidarity between friends. Sure, everyone likes quoting the Dazed and Confused incarnation of McConaughey, but Schumacher recognized that the young actor had range, and he was absolutely correct. McConaughey can dance from romcoms to awards fare, seemingly effortlessly, but none of this may have happened if not for Schumacher recognizing talent over existing stardom.
The Black Eyed Peas’ new album, Translation, has a completely different sound than anything they’ve done before, as the group offers its take on the world of Latin music with guests like Becky G, El Alfa, J. Balvin, Ozuna, and Shakira. However, the biggest difference that longtime fans may notice is the absence of the group’s erstwhile fourth member, Fergie, who joined the band on their third album, Elephunk, and remained with them through their 2010 album, The Beginning. She was also missing from their 2018 albumMasters Of The Sun Vol. 1. In a new interview with Billboard, they explain why.
All three remaining members are quick to point out that they remain in contact with Fergie and consider her their “sister.” However, as Will.I.Am says, “she’s focusing on being a mom. That’s a hard job, and that’s what she really wants to do and we’re here for her, and she knows how to contact us for a retreat or a breakaway. It’s really the way Fergie designed it, so we’re respecting her design. We love Fergie, and we don’t want anything but awesomeness for her.”
Apl.de.Ap reinforces that the group’s recording schedule simply conflicts with the demands of motherhood. “Even with these small connections, she’s always going to be our sister,” he says. “But unfortunately our schedule is displaced by [her] wanting to be a great mom, and she wants to focus on that. And like Will said, we support her 100%.”
Will even notes that Fergie hadn’t heard the album at the time of the interview, hoping that she likes it when she hears it with the rest of the world. While Translation takes them back to their roots as a trio, the group has brought in a new live vocalist for the time being, J. Rey Soul. Taboo compliments the new singer, saying “how proud I am of J.Rey Soul as well, because I know people are probably wondering who this artist is. The question always is ‘How’s Fergie doing?’ and I get that… I feel we’re giving birth to a new artist, J.Rey Soul. I really want to give her ultimate praise and respect.”
With a new sound, a new member, and a new album, Black Eyed Peas looks to extend their run of pop/hip-hop dominance and given the performance of their new single “Ritmo” with J. Balvin, they appear to be on course to do just that.
Check out the video for “Ritmo” above.
Translation is out now on Interscope. Get it here.
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark, the 2018 true-crime bestseller from the late Michelle McNamara, contained years of research that unquestionably helped law enforcement arrest the Golden State Killer. McNamara even helped coin that nickname for the predator formerly known as the East Area Rapist, who committed 50 rapes and 12 murders while terrorizing California in the 1970s and 80s. Sadly, McNamara passed away two years before the publication of her book and the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, who’s expected to plead guilty on June 29. The book not only illuminates her dogged pursuit of the truth, but also the public awareness that she generated, both of which led to renewed law enforcement attention for a 30-year-old cold case.
Following McNamara’s death (due to an accidental overdose of prescription drugs coupled with a medical condition), her husband, Patton Oswalt, resolved to make sure her book was published. He greenlit the manuscript’s completion, and he’s now appearing onscreen in HBO’s six-part docuseries (directed by Liz Garbus), which includes interviews with survivors, investigators, and those who knew Michelle well. Her empathy, and her non-sensationalized treatment of the material, made the book one hell of a read, and that comes through on the series. Patton read aloud from Michelle’s book while visiting Seth Meyers on the day of DeAngelo’s arrest, and he was gracious enough to speak with us ahead of the series’ debut (this talk took place just prior to this past weekend’s Fyre Fest-esque Trump rally in Tulsa).
It’s now customary for us to greet each other by asking if the other’s alright during the pandemic.
Well, are you keeping safe?
For now, but I’m in Tulsa, and there’s an event this weekend.
Oh god!
People aren’t thrilled about a rally happening.
Trump is so confusing. He canceled it, but it’s back on?
They nixed the Juneteenth date. It’s now happening on Saturday.
Oh, Christ, I’m so sorry. I hope you stay safe! Look out for that goddamn Boogaloo group, which is some kind of white supremacist thing. They’re trying to start a race war, so they dress like Antifa, but they shoot cops? It’s, like, fucking terrifying.
This is when we need your Constable Bob from Justified to save the day.
Oh, thank you!
Before we talk about the HBO series, I can’t resist mentioning one of my favorite passages from Michelle’s book — an anecdote about how you gave her a pep talk about Rocky Balboa to help her stay on her writing path.
[Laughs] I was just trying to find some imagery or a narrative that she could use, and that was Rocky. Like, if you watch the original film, he’s insanely out of shape and just has to rebuild from nothing. That was the metaphor I used, and I hope it doesn’t come off as clumsy, but it was the best that I could come up with. Yes, that was the pep talk I gave her on the book, godddd.
Michelle’s writing felt so human, and that only added to that vibe. She also suggested that you silently mouthed jokes to rehearse while washing dishes.
Oh yeah, I washed dishes because that really fed into my OCD and my, like, assembling of things in my head.
Obviously, the series has plenty of somber and emotional moments, but is also a celebration of Michelle’s work. When did you find out it was happening?
I remember that Liz approached me to pitch the idea, and I really, really liked her as a filmmaker. I knew that she would be great at figuring out the narrative correctly. And when I found out, we were in discussions with Liz, and that’s just kind of how it came together. We were working on the series when [Joseph James DeAngelo] got arrested.
You learned about the arrest when the cameras were rolling.
Yeah, we had been working on the documentary, and then then it happened, so they caught it on camera. Crazy, yeah, it was nuts.
You also pop into the series in several places.
Well, I don’t know that I participated that heavily, but I did make sure and turn all the materials over to Liz and her team, and then I wanted the focus to be on Michelle and the survivors and the investigators. That’s what I wanted it to be.
Very clearly, you were supportive of her work.
I mean, I tried to be as supportive as I could.
It isn’t easy to be married to a writer, I imagine?
[Laughs] Well, since we were both writers, we both understood where we were each coming from at the time.
In your afterword, you wrote that you guys initially bonded over your mutual serial-killer knowledge.
Yeah, definitely. That’s in there. I wanted to definitely do the afterword because I wanted Gillian [Flynn] to do the intro to bring us into her world. She’s such an amazing writer that I wanted her to do the intro, and I would do the very last part. I also wanted the last voice in the actual voice to be Michelle’s, and that’s the “Letter To An Old Man.”
That “old man,” Joseph James DeAngelo, is expected to plead guilty.
I believe so! I think it’s the day after the first episode airs. I’ll be watching, and I think what’s more important that the survivors and the victims’ families will be watching, and the same with the investigators.
In addition to law enforcement, Michelle’s fellow citizen investigators, Paul Haynes and Billy Jensen, were incredible.
Yes, they assembled the book. I handed everything over to them and was like, “Please, just help me get this done.” I didn’t want this work to remain unfinished. I don’t think I would be able to live if that was the case.
HBO
When it came to Michelle’s writing, when did you realize how skilled she was?
I mean, right away. Just when you talk to her, you can see what an original mind she had, and how engaged with everything she was, and so reading her writing, to me, it wasn’t surprising how amazing she was.
Are you surprised that her book, and her push for DNA, led to an arrest, and did you gave any gut feeling about it?
Actually, I did not know how this thing would turn out. Again, it was another very happy and pleasant surprise, that the victims’ families and survivors would feel some justice, I hope.
You talked a lot in your Annihilation special about your grieving process, and this opens another door of that, no doubt.
It’s just an ongoing process. I found love again, which I didn’t think would happen. It’s still gonna be day by day for a long time.
So, this docuseries will air over six weeks, and I think it nails the obsessive feel of the book because I binged it in one day.
Wow. It’s a tough one to watch, too.
But like I said, there are positive moments, and Michelle’s vibrant personality was apparent. I did chuckle while reading the book when Michelle formally ruled out Tom Hanks as a suspect due to his Bosom Buddies schedule.
Yeah! That, and she really was able to capture how there is a level of obsession with this subject. And thank you so much for taking the time to watch it all, I really appreciate it. And stay safe. Please! This weekend, if you’re going to go protest in Tulsa or have friends who are going out there, tell them to be very careful and aware, okay? I’m serious, please be safe.
HBO’s ‘I’ll Be Gone In The Dark’ premieres on Sunday, June 28 at 10:00pm EST.
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