Although up-and-coming Memphis rapper NLE Choppa is only 17 years old, he’s seen plenty in his young life to relate to the concept behind Lil Baby’s “Emotionally Scarred.” Hijacking the beat from the Atlanta rapper’s My Turn standout, Choppa delivers “Different Day,” his own take on the trauma of growing up through the turmoil and tumult he’s experienced.

“See, these slugs in my mouth when I smile, but I feel empty,” he raps. “And for the love, for my child I ain’t blow the brain out my fitted.” The accompanying video has Choppa sitting alone in a hotel room and in a parked car, flashing money and showing off his sneakers. He displays his signature energy throughout his performance, holding back from the all-out dancing he’s been known to show off, but still bounces hard to the thumping, purloined beat.

Choppa’s been enjoying a successful 2020 despite current events, as his Roddy Ricch collaboration “Walk Em Down” tears up TikTok and his verse on Polo G’s “Go Stupid” contributes to one of the year’s best-received albums so far. While he has yet to release a full-length project himself, he’s earned his place among the emerging class of future stars.

NLE Choppa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ten days ago, we reported that Drew Gulak’s contract with WWE had expired, and he hadn’t signed a new one. A lot of people (myself included) thought he might make his AEW debut in the Ladder Match at Double or Nothing (a spot that turned out to belong to Brian Cage). But those who were paying attention may also have noticed that unlike most noteworthy ex-WWE Superstars, he didn’t promote his ProWrestlingTees store, didn’t give an interview, and didn’t even tweet about it. In retrospect, it seems clear that negotiations were ongoing the entire time.

Now Fightful tells us that Gulak was part of yesterday’s Smackdown taping, and will appear on Friday’s show. He’s also been moved from the Alumni section of WWE.com back to the Smackdown roster.

PWInsider reports that this is because he has signed a new WWE contract, and will remain part of the Smackdown brand going forward. This might be bad news for anyone who was hoping to see the Gentlemen’s Club reunited, but it’s great for those who were enjoying his work with Daniel Bryan (a category that definitely includes Bryan himself).

The talk has been that the snag in Drew’s contract negotiations was that he asked for more money, so hopefully the fact that WWE lured him back means that he’s finally traded in those 205Live paychecks for a proper Smackdown salary.

With the success of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign, fans of Suicide Squad are hoping to now #ReleaseTheAyerCut. (Are you tired? I’m tired.)

Director David Ayer has long said that the version of the Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Jared Leto-starring comic book movie that hit theaters in 2016 was a victim of reshoots. “Diablo survived originally, Harley and Deadshot hooked up as a couple. This was changed during reshoots,” he recently tweeted, while on Instagram, he cryptically wrote, “A director holds an invisible compass in their hands. It guides every shot, every performance. That compass points to the destination. If the destination changes did the journey even happen?” It’s a real “does the Pope sh*t in the woods” conundrum.

Anyway, on Monday, Collider editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub tagged Ayer and HBO Max, which is releasing the four-hour-long Justice League cut, on Twitter, suggesting that “a lot of DC fans would love to see an alt version of [Suicide Squad] and it would help sell app.” Ayer replied, “This is a good question. My cut would be easy to complete. It would be incredibly cathartic for me. It’s exhausting getting your ass kicked for a film that got the Edward Scissorhands treatment. The film I made has never been seen.”

It’s fun to dunk on Suicide Squad, but to be honest, I hope the Ayer cut (should it actually come out) is an improvement. For one thing, it’s a movie with Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Viola Davis — of course I want it to be good. Also, it could mean Jared Leto goes on another “twisted” publicity tour? Maybe leave the dead rats behind this time, though.

(Via ScreenCrush)

Some of Whitney’s members found themselves in a scary situation recently, as they were robbed at gunpoint last month. Everybody emerged from the incident unscathed, fortunately, and now they’re back to putting out new music. Today, the group has shared a pair of new covers, of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and of SWV’s “Rain.”

The Denver cover also features Waxahatchee, and she and the band turned the song into a duet, preserving the serene energy of the original song but Whitney-ifying it a little. The band’s Max Kakacek said of working with Waxahatchee, “We knew that Katie was destined to sing this with us. We both heard her live and she has this classic country vibe. Once we heard her voice on it, it was pretty much magical. Her contribution is perfect.”

Julian Ehrilch also noted of SWV, “My relationship with SWV goes back to my UMO days, when I was 19 in the van and listening to ‘Right Here.’ I’ve been obsessed with them since I was a teenager. The song interpolates Jaco Pastorious’ ‘Portrait Of Tracy,’ which is one of my favorite basslines ever.”

Listen to Whitney’s covers of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Rain” above.

And here’s why Swifties are freaking out.

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Too much of a good thing feels just fine when the rest of the world is as bleak as it’s been lately. So, when Carly Rae Jepsen announced to the quarantined masses last Friday morning that a surprise collection of more pop bops was on the way from their fav, it immediately registered as fantastic news. Following up on the same timeline she used for her last album cycle, Jepsen dropped the B-sides collection to the 2019 record, Dedicated, on the one-year anniversary of the original album’s release date.

“So yes there have been whispers and I’m bad at keeping secrets,” Jepsen wrote in an Instagram post last Friday morning. “Side B for Dedicated is out now babies and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share these tunes. I hope it makes yah dance your pants off! Thank you for all the joy you shared with me on this last year of touring. I owe ya one.. or like two albums turns out. For the record, I love all of you.”

Perhaps this release wouldn’t feel as rote if she hadn’t followed this exact same formula for the one-year anniversary of Emotion, and unlike that cult-classic record, Dedicated didn’t quite have a career-altering, critical-darling impact. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of sparkling, left-field jams on both B-sides that will have fans just as excited as her once-massive hit “Call Me Maybe.” And the pop star release schedule has been strained in 2020 due to the impact of a global pandemic, and with Lady Gaga and the Dixie Chicks both pushing big releases, there was a Carly-shaped-hole in the listening calendar — Dedicated B-sides slots there just fine.

Without huge stadium tours from the likes of Lana Del Rey — who may or may not have lost a bulk of ticket-holders due to her repeated rants over the last week — or Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, there’s even more attention to go around to new pop albums. And these deeper cuts from Carly are also a welcome balance to huge new singles like “Rain On Me” or the lingering impact of hip-hop focused hits like Doja Cat’s “Say So,” Megan The Stallion’s “Savage” remix with Beyonce, or Roddy Ricch’s “The Box.”

There is nothing there that will vie with any of those songs for a spot in the top 20, and even less that leans into the hip-hop sound that has become all but synonymous with radio dominance. But for those who are into the optimistic synth-pop sound that Jepsen has leaned into on her last two albums (or make that four releases, counting both B-side compilations), here’s another twelve songs that flit between wide-eyed innocent love, occasional fits of regret, and the kind of nights that make the constant vacillating between those two extremes feel completely worth it.

Returning to tried and true producers and co-writers like Ariel Rechtshaid, Jack Antonoff, and Dev Hynes, along with plenty of others in keeping with her proclivity toward an always eclectic sound, Dedicated B-sides has some moments that are even stronger than the namesake that preceded it. “Stay Away” is the addictive, glitchy sendup of the honeymoon stage with a new lover that’s great for a dance party anywhere, even alone in your bedroom, and “Fake Mona Lisa” contains the kind of strangely specific details that Jepsen fans quickly turn into wry inside jokes and memes, while the production is funkier and weirder than she usually gets, almost like a younger sister of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories era.

Then, there’s the knockout — every Jepsen album has one — “Comeback” showcases the feathery register of her voice that resonates so much more than when she belts. Joined on vocals occasionally by Antonoff, and with the only credited guest on the record, Antonoff’s project Bleachers, “Comeback” is the kind of uplifting epic that transcends romantic pain and gets into self-actualization. This song heads straight into Phil Collins territory and doesn’t look back, looping vocal tracks and synths into a glistening web of nonsensical lyrics that are nevertheless inspiring — “I am the keeper of that beat” will make sense to every music lover, regardless of context.

Some critics argue there is a certain generality to Jepsen pop songs, and she’s been faulted for that before, but within the broad strokes she paints — and occasional idiosyncratic, wildly specific motif — listeners can fill their own colors in between the lines. It’s why the last four albums have resonated so deeply with her core fanbase, even if the charts and the mainstream at large have never connected as strongly with her as they have with other pop stars. For those who see and hear themselves in a Carly Rae Jepsen song, even the most nonsensical phrase has the sheen of unassailable wisdom. These dedicated ones, we are the keeper of that beat.

Dedicated is out now via Schoolboy/Interscope Records. Get it here.

As one of hip-hop’s hottest rising stars, YBN Cordae can already boast of having a handful of hit records, a Grammy Award nomination, and a successful tour under hit belt. Soon, he may be adding the co-sign of a rap icon to that list of accomplishments — as well as a verse from said icon.

During the latest episode of Lil Wayne’s Young Money Radio podcast, the host sprinkled his interview with Cordae with high praise for the younger rapper. “He’s one of the newer artists that I f*ck with, for real, for real,” he said. “He be spittin’.”

That praise went both ways. “You already know how legendary you are,” Cordae told Wayne. “I just can’t start this sh*t without telling you how much your music means to me as a human being and how much that sh*t inspired me.” After the show of mutual appreciation, Wayne asked about Cordae’s new album, which Cordae revealed is still in very early stages. “I’m like 50 songs in,” he said. “I’m just trying to cut it down.”

Wayne then offered the highest praise a rap legend like himself could give a successor. “All you gotta do is text me the song, I’ll murder it and send you the finger so you know it’s dead,” he joked. “Say no more,” Cordae replied. That album can’t come soon enough.

Watch YBN Cordae’s interview with Lil Wayne on Young Money Radio above.

YBN Cordae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A week ago, Phoebe Bridgers shared a new song, “I See You.” In addition to releasing the new track, she also revealed that she would be embarking on a “world tour,” with a heavy emphasis on the quotation marks. Instead of traveling the world and performing to large audiences during a time when it isn’t really safe to do either of those things, the “venues” for her tour will instead be various locations around her home. The tour kicks off tonight, and ahead of that, Bridgers shared a hilarious teaser video for it.

The video combines clips of massive arena crowds with footage of Bridgers performing on stage, and a dramatically deep voice goes over the details of Bridgers’ upcoming performance. The narrator says, “Performing in her kitchen, bathroom, bed, and, by overwhelming, a second performance in her bed. Don’t miss your chance.”

Those are the real venues for Bridgers’ upcoming livestreams. Tonight, she’s performing from her kitchen. Her next live date will be a May 28 bathroom show, and this brief run of performances will wrap up with two performances from her bed, on June 4 and 6.

Watch the teaser video above, and check out the equally dramatic tour poster below.

The streaming universe will grow even more vast with HBO Max‘s May 27 launch, which arrives with a 10,000+ title library of movies and TV shows. The catalog will go a long way toward rivaling the likes of Netflix and Disney+, and waves of original programming should prove to be an enticing addition for anyone on the fence about subscribing. This will also be the only place to watch the future “Snyder Cut” of Justice League, so it’s safe to say that HBO Max is serious about offering an experience like no other streaming service that currently exists.

You may have questions about whether your existing HBO subscription will get you in the HBO Max door at no extra charge, and we’ve got answers for you here. Right now, though, it’s time to talk about what we’re excited about watching. There’s almost too much to choose from. No really, it’s a lot: HBO’s full catalog, Warner Bros. movies and TV shows, in addition to titles from Comedy Central, Studio Ghibli, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Cartoon Network, Looney Tunes, and more. But never fear, as our TV experts have dug through the vast content mine and made their top picks.

An American Pickle

HBO Max is banking on the universal appeal of Seth Rogen to make its first streaming film a success. It’s not a bad business move, especially when Rogen, who’s capable of injecting a bit of humor into even the dullest of storylines (here’s looking at you, Green Hornet), but he should have an easier time making us laugh with this movie based on a short story by Simon Rich. Rogen will play a 1920s immigrant named Herschel Greenbaum who comes to America in pursuit of a dream, ends up falling into a vat of pickles, his body brined and preserved for 100 years, until he finally wakes up to find modern life — including his lone descendant — is not what he expected. Rogen pulls double duty here, but he’s joined by an impressive roster of supporting players including Succession’s Sarah Snook and PEN15’s Maya Erskine. — Jessica Toomer

The “Snyder Cut” Of Justice League

I actually like a lot of the Joss Whedon-finished theatrical cut of Justice League. Moreso upon rewatch. I also like Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman. It sorta sucks that the theatrical cut will now forever have an asterisk attached to it or be thought of as “less than.” On the other hand, this means more Cavil as Superman and Affleck as Batman — which we weren’t going to see again. More Gadot, more Momoa, more everything! Based on Snyder’s estimates, only about one-quarter of the previously released film counted as his, so we’re going to essentially get a completely new Justice League in a few months time (2021, to be exact) while, before this announcement, it didn’t seem like there were any firm plans with Superman or future DCEU team-up films. This is going to be three hours of escapism made with other people’s money — let’s all take the W. — Jason Tabrys

Looney Tunes Cartoons

In a more perfect world, this would be “the entire Looney Tunes archive plus new episodes,” because there are hours/days/weeks of classic Looney Tunes content just sitting out there waiting to be archived. You’re telling me you wouldn’t watch an hour of Wile E. Coyote flattening himself or Bugs Bunny being an unrepentant carrot-chomping rascal? Don’t lie. Do not lie. But this could be cool, too, and it could bring a whole crew of fun characters to a new generation of kids. Something they can share with their parents. The Looney Tunes are the best. Bugs, especially. Every generation should get to experience Bugs Bunny. This solves that problem. And if it’s popular enough, maybe I’ll get my archive eventually, so that would solve that problem, too. There is no better way to spend a Saturday morning. — Brian Grubb

The Matrix Trilogy

More than 20 years after the Wachowskis launched their 1999 sci-fi juggernaut, I’m full of anticipation for the fourth installment starring O.G. duo Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss (even though we almost certainly won’t be seeing Laurence Fishburne making a comeback). Yet because most film release dates are up in the air, I’m feeling the urge to revisit the trilogy now more than ever. They’re still thematically relevant pieces of art, but even more than that, these are the films that made Keanu an honest-to-god action star. There would probably be no John Wick franchise if not for The Matrix, and let’s not forget that Moss is as much of an ass-kicking badass as her leading male co-stars. Catsuits and leather coats and cooler-than-cool sunglasses can’t be beat here, so dodge that bullet and enjoy the kung fu fighting all over again. –Kimberly Ricci

Americanah

For those wondering why Danai Gurira left The Walking Dead after ten seasons, it was partially to work on Americanah, a television series that Gurira created and wrote. Gurira is a successful Tony-nominated playwright, and in Americanah, she reteams with Lupita Nyong’o (Us), who starred in Gurira’s Eclipsed. Corey Hawkins (Gurira’s co-star in The Walking Dead) and Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) also star in a story about pair of young Nigerian immigrants who face a lifetime of struggle while their relationship endures. It’s based on the award-winning novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and it’s the kind of prestige project for which HBO is best known. — Dustin Rowles

Studio Ghibli

HBO Max’s biggest star isn’t the Bazinga guy, or Zack Snyder, or some unholy Rachel/Monica/Phoebe/Chandler/Joey/Ross/Marcel the Monkey hybrid. It’s Totoro. HBO Max acquired the U.S. streaming rights to the Studio Ghibli library for the first time, making it that much easier for children (and adults) to watch some of the most majestic animated films of all-time. And all it took was Hayao Miyazaki needing lots of money to make his next masterpiece! There’s Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo (did you hear she loves ham?), and My Neighbor Totoro. No offense to Disney+, but Totoro is way better than the mouse fellow. — Josh Kurp

Search Party

Search Party is, for all intents and purposes, the spiritual predecessor of shows like Russian Doll. A just-as-bleak, equally funny romp that stuffs murder, mystery, and the meaningless of life into a too-cool package. But now that it’s moving to HBO Max, people might actually watch it and discover addictively delicious it is. I’m not sure how I feel about that as I like to horde my underrated shows like Smaug hordes a dwarf’s treasure, but I’ll welcome people on the bandwagon if it means this cast — including Alia Shawkat, John Early, Meredith Hagner, and John Reynolds — and this story, about a group of out-of-touch Brooklyn hipsters-turned-clueless-millennial-P.I.’s gets the recognition it deserves. The show’s second season went a bit off the rails (an accidental murder can do that), but HBO’s planned third season seems to have righted itself, with the gang on trial for their respective crimes, dealing with the fallout of their misadventures. — Jessica Toomer

Love Life

The first wave of HBO Max Originals is upon us, and Anna Kendrick delivers a pitch-perfect performance in this romantic dramedy series alongside the always great Scoot McNairy (as a wealthy, martini-sipping entrepreneur) and the scene-stealing Zoë Chao (as far more than the stereotypical BFF in these type of stories). At first, the anthology series superficially resembles some shows and movies (unrealistically lucrative job and ridiculously nice NYC apartment for a 20-something) that you’ve seen previously, but there’s a fresh, “case study” approach that celebrates growth and transformation and everything that a lot of romcom heroines really don’t experience. Kendrick, as Darby, digs deep while undergoing a series of different formative relationships. It’s slightly tart, escapist fare that still feels grounded in reality, in a mostly pleasant way. –Kimberly Ricci

Grease: Rydell High

Two things are important here:

1. Grease: Rydell High is a kind of series continuation of the popular musical and movie, with the same 1950s setting and musical style. It’s not the first time that the powers that be have tried mining this story in recent years, as there was that live musical a few years ago, too. A series-length musical is hard, though, especially an earnest one, so best of luck to everyone involved. If this all sounds like a half-hearted recommendation, that’s because I’m writing this blurb solely because of the second thing, which I’m about to get to right now and would like to apologize for preemptively to you and to everyone involved with the making of the show.

2. Until they announce the cast, we simply cannot rule out the possibility of a 66-year-old John Travolta reprising his role as teen bad boy Danny Zuko. — Brian Grubb

Best Picture Winners

One quarantine activity that I can’t recommend enough: watching every Best Picture winner. It takes forever to accomplish (92 films and counting), but that’s not a bad thing right now, and HBO Max can help get you there. The Best Picture winners on the streaming service include Gone with the Wind, Casablanca (and hopefully the Looney Tunes parody, “Carrotblanca”), An American in Paris, and Ben-Hur. Million Dollar Baby isn’t on there, but 1952’s Million Dollar Mermaid is, and let’s face it, depressing boxing movies could use more mermaids. HBO Max will also have a lot of movies that should have been nominated for Best Picture, like A Nightmare on Elm Street, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. Not A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, though. Maybe a Golden Globe nomination, but not an Oscar win. — Josh Kurp

The Fresh Prince

Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down and I’d like to take a minute just sit right there, I’ll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air.

In West Philadelphia, born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days. Chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool and shooting some b-ball outside of the school. When a couple of guys who were up to no good, started making trouble in my neighborhood. I got in one little fight and my moms got scared, she said you’re moving to your auntie and uncles in Bel-Air.

Okay, so that was from memory because I don’t think I’ve seen an episode of Fresh Prince in probably 20 years. But perhaps now is the time to re-experience the origins of The Carlton Dance, watch that time Geoffrey thought he won the lotto, absorb the dad wisdom of Uncle Phil, rage RAGE against the oppression of youth with Ashley, ponder the purpose of Avery, and cry with Will when Ben Vereen abandons him, perhaps triggering thoughts about your own disappointing father-son situation. If nothing else, you can get that earworm theme song STUCK. The classics never lose their luster. — Jason Tabrys

Doctor Who

Like AMC, BBC is one of the few free agents in the streaming wars, meaning that their shows do not automatically align with a particular studio-owned streaming service. With 11 seasons and new generations of Who fans coming on board every year, landing Doctor Who is a big coup for HBO Max. It is the holy grail of sci-fi series. It’s a hugely bingeable series that turns its cast over every few years, which makes it almost impossible to stop watching. This deal will also be good for Doctor Who in America, as it will give potential fans who don’t have BBC America their first opportunity to watch the series. — Dustin Rowles

Tom Cruise makes it his mission to defy death in all the Mission: Impossible movies with increasing levels of “world-topping sh*t.” Back before he was clinging onto the side of an airplane and scaling a Dubai skyscraper, he pulled off some daredevilish, stomach-dropping rock-climbing moments in the John Woo-directed second installment for the franchise. Now, one of that movie’s writers, Ronald D. Moore has opened up to the Hollywood Reporter about how he helped retool the movie following the departure of Oliver Stone and previous writers. To no one’s surprise (nowadays), the rock climbing inspiration came straight from Cruise’s recreational moments. Yet the best nugget in this interview delivers a spark of morbid humor, given that Cruise had shared his random encounter with Dr. Death himself.

As Moore relates, Cruise got pretty candid behind the scenes, telling stories while they worked on fine-tuning the script at the Top Gun: Maverick star’s home. Apparently, Kevorkian used his notoriety as a joke about sort-of recruiting Tom for his own cause when they bumped into each other at a Time magazine event. Cruise had been sitting close to Henry Kissinger, which sounds surreal enough, and then Kevorkian threw out his sales pitch of sorts:

Moore recalls Cruise saying that Kevorkian approached the actor. “Tom goes: ‘Kevorkian shakes my hand and says, “So, how you feeling?” And Tom laughs and says, ‘Oh, I’m fine.’ And Kevorkian snaps his fingers and goes: ‘Ah, too bad.’”

Hmm, was this a standard Kevorkian opening line or something that Jack crafted especially for the A-list actor? It’s tough to say, but recycling a line for Tom Cruise seems like something that even Dr. Death (who passed away in 2011 from natural causes) wouldn’t do.

Yet it’s slightly sobering to recall that M:I 2 (which is still maligned by franchise fans) did in fact have a plot beyond the stunts. In the movie, Ethan Hunt worked against the clock to halt the a deadly virus before it landed in terrorist hands. Perhaps we can call in Hunt to repair our current situation, sooner rather than later? And then M:I 7 can unleash production once more and get everyone safely back into movie theaters.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)