There don’t seem to be many things going right nowadays, but at least this was another strong month for the best rap albums. The month was kicked off with a mega drop from Drake, and also had a trio of sophomore albums from Gunna, Polo G and KOTA The Friend that were all impressive in distinct manners. Future released his latest project, as did seasoned rhymers like Ka, Conway, and Freddie Gibbs. Check out the full list of the best rap albums from May below:

Drake — Dark Lane Demo Tapes

Drake is one of the most prolific artists of his time. He has so many loosies laying around that he put together a compilation called Care Package last year — and he already has enough for another compilation entitled Dark Lane Demo Tapes. Aside from relatively upbeat moments like “Toosie Slide” and “Demons,” the project is another dose of doleful lamentations and existential discontent for the world’s most distressed superstar. There has been mounting criticism that Drake no longer seems to be leading the wave as much as chasing it. But, songs like “Chicago Freestyle,” “Losses,” and “From Florida With Love” show that even if he’s not in his creative prime (a question his next studio album will answer), he’s still compelling at his best.

Gunna — Wunna

Gunna might have already won the 2020 award for most creative branding around a project. His Wunna era has come complete with and a “Wunnascope” collaboration with @TheHoodHealer but that doesn’t mean he’s all about positive vibes. Consider these bars from “Cooler Than A Bitch” featuring Roddy Ricch: “Your favorite rapper burnt and he runnin’ out of hits / Say the wrong word, and I’ma shoot him in his sh*t.” It’s unmistakable that Wunna’s thematic grounding is still the streets of Atlanta on his latest collection of slinky flows over immersive Wheezy beats. The album’s 19-tracks could eventually wear for those who aren’t diehard Gunna fans, but songs like “Skybox,” the erotic “Nasty Girl / On Camera” and the “Hot”-adjacent “Top Floor” show Gunna at his best.

Polo G — “GOAT”

Polo G’s sophomore studio album Isn’t just one of the best albums of May, it’s some of the best work you’re gonna hear all year. The Chicago rhymer’s melodic flow and technical lyricism is an elite combination. He infuses his lyrical gift with grim, honest depictions of Chicago that explore themes of grief, self-medicating, and violence — and how they’re all interconnected. So many young artists are being forthright about how the trauma of systemic oppression manifests in their life. Polo is doing the same, from chemical dependency (explored on “21” with the late Juice WRLD) to romantic relationships on “Beautiful Pain (Losing My Mind),” where he rhymes, “it’s hard to love with dysfunction, wish my scars was thinner.” Polo’s GOAT title is a lofty aspiration, but in time he just may have a claim as he continues to experience life and refine his artistry.

Freddie Gibbs — Alfredo

Last year, Freddie Gibbs declared himself the best rapper in the world, and he’s given those in agreeance no reason to let up off that claim. He’s been in the zone for over four years now, and that run doesn’t slow up on Alfredo, a soulful collaboration album with Alchemist. Gangsta Gibbs is one of the game’s best examples of sticking to the script and excelling, as the project shows him rattling off flows and quotables like “Michael Jordan, 1985, b*tch, I travel with a cocaine circus” on Alchemist’s soulful, lowkey production. Griselda artists Conway and Benny The Butcher both appear on the album, each giving a taste of what a joint EP with Gibbs could sound like.

Mozzy — Beyond Bulletproof

Mozzy got subversive with the title of his latest project, Beyond Bulletproof, noting that, “In my neighborhood and the ghettos of America, ‘bulletproof’ means ‘love.’” He shows love to his native Sacramento throughout the project, exploring the good, bad, and ugly of Northern Cali with features like Eric Bellinger, Polo G, G Herbo, and King Von. The latter two appear on “Body Count,” an album standout where the three artists trade menacing bars over a piano loop fit for a horror scene. But beyond the no-nonsense bangers, Mozzy is also beloved for his introspection, and “Betrayed” and “I Ain’t Perfect” fit that bill, where he laments the toll oppression has taken on his community and expresses “compassion for the hopeless and the homeless ’cause they been through enough.” Mozzy has been through his own share of turmoil, and the game should be thankful that he’s so adept at expressing it on his latest.

Little Simz — Drop 6

In late April, Little Simz took to Instagram to speak for many right now by lamenting that, “I don’t mind being alone…however choosing to be alone is different from being forced to be alone and that’s where the difficulty comes in.” The forced quarantining in the wake of Covid-19 has society feeling a myriad of emotions, and Simz culled through her own emotional stage on Drop 6, the latest entry of her Drop mixtape series. As she noted on project intro “Might Bang, Might Not,” she’s a “one-woman army” on the five-song project, looming over the album’s sparse production with her vulnerable poetics. The project feels like a portrait of the moment, as she explores matters of life and career, surmising on “You Should Call Mum” that “times we livin’ in don’t seem real / But it was never a fairytale to begin with.”

KOTA The Friend — Everything

KOTA The Friend’s FOTO project was a portrait of Brooklyn through the lens of twentysomethings experiencing life trials amid the beast of gentrification. He has expressed wanting Everything, his latest project, to be a bit more upbeat for his burgeoning fanbase. He accomplishes that goal with fun, feel-good tracks like “B.Q.E.” with Bas and Joey Badass, “Always” with Kyle and Braxton Cook and the title track, which he posits as that “spend a week up in the mountains just to heal some“ type music. His slick, ever-confident delivery bolsters lyrics about his ascension and rhymes about people who are always “jackin that you know me but you knew me” on “Morocco.” Indeed, the versatility of Everything shows that KOTA The Friend is constantly evolving as an artist, which can only reflect personal evolution.

Ka — Descendants Of Cain

There are probably a lot of people culling through the bible these days — but few, if any could transfuse the good book’s contents into a work as compelling as Ka’s Descendants Of Cain, the Brooklyn rapper’s seventh studio album. Ka is one of the rap game’s best-kept secrets, mostly because the lowkey lyricist wants it that way. But tracks like “Solitude Of Enoch” and “Sins Of The Father” with Roc Marciano speak loudly for his presence. The masterful rhymer gets off his thought-provoking witticisms in sparse, spoken word-esque couplets, darting through minimalist beats with reflective gems like “My past bent me, see it half-empty / My theme’s still tryin’ to get clean from last century” that act as passages on their own.

Key Glock — Son Of A Gun

Released right in time for mother’s day, Key Glock’s Son Of A Gun project is a tribute to his mother, as well as an exhibition of why he’s one of the game’s most intriguing trap rappers. He’s in his wheelhouse throughout the 15-track album, rhyming over a collection of hypnotic loops that serve as the perfect framework for his gun-toting, braggadocious lyrics. The beats lure you in, and Key Glock keeps you enthralled with his intense mic presence. He talks big on “Money Talks” and “Flexxxin,” where he lets us know “I still ain’t touch my stash.” But it’s not all good. Album standout “I Can Tell” shows him in paranoia mode, rhyming, “It’s a lot of rappers hatin’ on me, I can tell.” As much as rappers shout out imaginary haters, the knack for quality street music that Son Of A Gun displays makes it believable.

Larry June & Cardo — Cruise USA

If you’re new to Larry June, get ready to bask in a lush catalog of Bay game over laidback beats. But if you’re familiar then you already know what’s going on when June and Cardo link up. They’re one of the game’s most underrated rapper-producer combos, and they got to it again on Cruise USA, a feel-good 8-track project. The title harkens to the ideal vibe to take in June’s game-heavy raps over smooth soundscapes that veer from the glitzy “Meet Me In Frisco” to the hypnotic “Orange Juice” with Dom Kennedy, which is an intriguing fusion of dripped-out Houston with laidback Cali vibes. If you find yourself taking a lengthy drive this June, this is surely one for the rotation.

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

Lovecraft Country — the highly-anticipated (and very timely) HBO series from creator Misha Green and producers Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams about monsters, both human and otherwise — still doesn’t have a premiere date. But it does have a premiere month: August 2020. HBO also released an ominous new teaser for Lovecraft Country, featuring secret legacies, socially conscious horror, mysterious attacks in the woods, a James Baldwin voiceover, and whatever the heck this nightmare is.

I’m both intrigued and terrified. “I love stories. Heroes go on adventures in other worlds to fight unsurmountable odds. Stories are like a living thing,” Atticus (played by Jonathan Majors) says in the teaser. I’m thinking I’ll love this story, too. Here’s the plot synopsis:

Based on the 2016 novel by Matt Ruff of the same name, Lovecraft Country follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he joins up with his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father (Michael Kenneth Williams). This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback.

Lovecraft Country also stars Wunmi Mosaku, Aunjanue Ellis, and Abbey Lee.

Demonstrations are continuing across the United States as individuals take to the streets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and in protest of the death of George Floyd. The fallout from this has included a frank discussion about policing in the United States, both because of how Floyd died and the numerous examples of excessive force that law enforcement has used against those peacefully protesting.

One city where these demonstrations have been particularly notable has been Los Angeles, which has a lengthy history of frayed tensions between its citizens and its police force. On Tuesday, the city’s Police Commission held a virtual town hall in which members of the community excoriated the group and called for chief Michael Moore, who previously said Floyd’s death was as much on looters as it was the police officer who was arrested for murder, to resign.

The call featured someone claiming to be renowned skateboarder Tony Hawk, who echoed the calls for Moore to resign or be removed and said that he lost the faith of residents of Los Angeles.

The voice sounded like Hawk’s, but was just a bit off. That’s because, as he clarified on Twitter, it was not him. Hawk posted that he would have been a bit more eloquent, then advocated for civil rights advocacy organization Color of Change.

Since we are not ones to disagree with Tony Hawk on much of anything, here’s a link to Color of Change’s website.

This week, some of the best new pop music came from big-name musicians. Lady Gaga finally released her long-awaited record Chromatica, Rosalía teamed up with Travis Scott for a rhythmic tune, and Tones And I returns with a new track following last year’s breakout “Dance Monkey.”

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.

Lady Gaga — “Sour Candy” Feat. Blackpink

For her Chromatica record, Lady Gaga joined forces with some unexpected collaborators for some of the best new pop music we’ve heard of late. Gaga released “Sour Candy” with K-Pop supergroup Blackpink just ahead of her full album’s release. In a statement, Gaga applauded her collaborators: “When I called them and asked if they wanted to write a song with me, they were so happy and motivated. It was a really exciting collaboration. I wanted to celebrate them because they love powerful women like us, and they also wanted to celebrate me, and we had a great time together with this song. I was excited to hear them interpret the song in Korean, and told them that the part was so creative and fun. I was impressed when I heard their singing voice. I’m a woman, really talented and proud to be the fifth member of Blackpink (in this song).”

Rosalía x Travis Scott — “TKN”

Rosalía and Travis Scott’s “TKN” is an irresistibly-rhythmic single. In a statement alongside the track, Rosalía praised Scott for his work: “Travis is an artist who I’ve admired a lot since the beginning of his career and I can’t imagine a better artist to collaborate with on this song. I feel that now is the moment to release this song, after so many months of staying indoors, missing freedom or being with people we love. I hope ‘TKN’ gives you energy, makes you dance, and gives you strength if you’re going through difficult times. With all my love <3.”

Tones And I — “Ur So F**cking Cool”

Following two tracks released earlier this year, Australian songwriter Tones And I returns with a buoyant tune that aims a blow at fake influencers. “I wrote this song after I went to a party and everyone there thought they were the coolest thing ever and I just thought, ‘This is sh*t, I’m leaving,’” the singer said about the single.

Kim Petras — “Broken Glass” Feat. Kygo

Kim Petras tapped Norwegian producer Kygo for the effervescent “Broken Glass.” Petras said the single is a reflection of her state of mind when she penned the song: “‘Broken Glass’ really connected with me and what I was going through at the time. Kygo and I have written a couple of songs together in the past, but we’ve been trying to make something happen. I think the song is amazing and I’m a big fan of Kygo, so I’m really excited to be on his album and for it to come out!”

Tayla Parx — “Dance Alone”

Tayla Parx’s groove-driven “Dance Alone” is her latest effort following last year’s acclaimed debut album. “‘Dance Alone’ is about that deep desire to connect with someone in order to cope,” Parx said of the single. “We all have that special someone who makes us feel things where we literally ache for them or feel for them. It’s about human connection, which we all desperately need right now, and how we realize we are not alone.”

Griff — “Forgive Myself”

At 19-years-old, songwriter Griff not only writes and producers her own tracks, but she also makes her own clothes. Her acclaimed debut EP The Mirror Talk showcased her devotion to craft. Now, Griff expands her catalog with “Forgive Myself,” a lilting ballad about overcoming and learning from past mistakes, however big or small they might be.

Ali Gatie — “Running On My Mind”

Ali Gatie’s 2019 debut EP cemented the songwriter as a poignant voice in music. Now, Gatie returns with “Running On My Mind.” Arriving on his birthday, the track features Gatie’s soulful delivery over a rolling, earworm beat.

Duckwrth — “Find A Way”

Hailing from South Central LA, Duckwrth shares some motivation in the form of “Find A Way.” Intricately layered, Duckwrth said the track is meant as uplifting inspiration: “In this journey we call life, us as humans will inevitably fall off the path. Sometimes due to forces outside of our control. But we always find our way. This is the theme song to Our Comeback. Let’s Find A Way.”

Phil Good — “Everything’s Good”

LA singer/songwriter Phil Good shares his sarcastically-cheery track “Everything’s Good” this week. “Even though I’m sarcastically saying that ‘everything’s good’ in the song, I think it’s important to be optimistic and remind yourself and those around you that things could always be much worse,” Phil said about the single. “You’re still here, reading this on your phone, maybe on the couch or the toilet.. who knows. But you’re alive and breathing and that alone is pretty ‘everything’s good’ right now.”

Gashi — “Paranoid”

Gashi’s sophomore album 1984 arrived this week, and along with it came the stand-out track “Paranoid.” Gashi said that although he wasn’t alive in 1984, he feels connected to the time period: “I wasn’t alive during that decade, but I connect so much with everything from that era. I love everything about 80s culture from the music to the films to the fashion and I always wished I could have experienced that time in history. My parents got married in 1984 and some of the greatest music ever made came from the 80s. I just wanted to make music that made people feel the way I feel when I hear anything from that era.”

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

As protests continue across the country, many musicians have offered their unabridged support to George Floyd’s family the Black Lives Matter movement. But others, like Nirvana’s former bassist, have instead shared a tone-deaf response to the demonstrations. Founding Nirvana member Krist Novoselic deleted his Twitter account after facing backlash over comments made about the president’s “strong and direct” speech Monday, in which Trump declared himself the “the president of law and order.”

In a since-deleted post on Facebook, Novoselic commended Trump on his speech and applauded the president for saying he “would stop the violence.” Novoselic wrote, “I know many of you can’t stand him, however, Trump knocked it out of the park with this speech. I agree, the president should not be sending troops into state — he legally might not be able to anyway — nevertheless, the tone in this speech is strong and direct.”

Novoselic received backlash for the post and as a result, deleted his Twitter. Novoselic still chose to clarify his comments on Facebook, though he made no mention of police brutality. “And it feels insane to have to say this, but I don’t support fascism, and I don’t support an authoritarian state,” Novoselic wrote. “I believe in a civilized society and that we all have to work toward that.”

Read Novoselic’s posts above.

The flying of Confederate flags in the U.S. has been hotly debated for decades, which is kind of baffling, to be honest. When you know the history of the Civil War, understand that the Confederate states were attempting to secede from the United States so that they could keep enslaving Black people (they said so themselves—in no uncertain terms), and recognize that their actions against the U.S. government amounted to treason, it’s hard to fathom why people would fly the flag that represents that history.

I’ve heard some people say it’s not a racist symbol and it just represents Southern pride, but how? If you’re equating the South with the Confederacy, and using that flag as a symbol of what you’re proud of, and the Confederacy that flag represents was founded specifically to perpetuate racism…umm, yeah. That’s racist and weird.

A Republican group called The Lincoln Project has created an ad that explains this, and asks why the flag is so commonly seen flying with pro-Trump signs:

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The Lincoln Project is a group that views “Trumpism” as a danger to the nation. And they harken back to the Civil War era as they describe their inspiration for forming on their website:

“President Abraham Lincoln led the United States through its bloodiest, most divisive and most decisive period of our history. He fought not because he wanted to, but because he knew the dual goals of preserving the Union and the end of slavery would be achieved only through armed conflict. Lincoln always kept the enormous human cost of the struggle in the front of his mind. At Gettysburg, he implored us not to forget those that had given “their last full measure of devotion” to preserving the American experiment. As it became clear that the Union would be victorious, Lincoln’s thoughts turned to how the nation would “bind up its wounds” and move forward together.

Today, we find ourselves divided again – sectionalism in the country and factionalism in government has led to ever uglier examples of how our political system is failing. President Donald Trump and those who sign onto Trumpism are a clear and present danger to the Constitution and our Republic. Only defeating so polarizing a character as Trump will allow the country to heal its political and psychological wounds and allow for a new, better path forward for all Americans.”

It’s all tied together—the Confederate flag and what it represents, the president supported by those who fly it, and the unrest and upheaval we are currently experiencing as a result of racial injustice that has gone unchecked for too long.

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Back in February, Mission: Impossible 7 became one of the first major blockbuster productions to screech to a halt as the pandemic took root. That it was at the forefront of the shutdown had everything to do with the film’s Italian production locations, and now, Simon Pegg (who portrays Benji Dunn in the Paramount films) is shining light on how the ridiculously successful Tom Cruise franchise will get off the ground (so its star can do wild stunts again). One particular? It’s not happening in Italy, which is still reeling.

Pegg spoke with Variety while detailing “the plan,” which involves relaunching production in the U.K., likely on the Paramount Pictures backlot (and with as much outside action as possible at the beginning). The Shaun Of The Dead star did have some humor about the situation. Fight scenes might happen “five feet apart,” he joked, so we’ll just have to imagine Mr. Cruise kicking at open air instead of throwing down in a bathroom alongside Henry Cavill’s controversial mustache. Also, the plan is to get rolling in September:

“That will begin with the outdoor stuff. That feels fairly doable, and obviously there will be precautions put in place…. People that are involved in any close proximity stuff, it will have to be determined that they’re safe to do that. I don’t know what the testing situation is, how that works, or whether they’ll be able to be tested regularly.”

In an unconfirmed aside, some U.K.-based outlets are reporting that Cruise would like to set up “a COVID-free village” at a Royal Air Force site, but we’ll see if that happens. Obviously and no matter where the filming location happens, one can easily imagine temperature checks, along with testing, rotating crews, and probably a pause in craft services as actors know it.

Pegg’s relaying of the above news arrives as Los Angeles productions start to eye a return to work as well. Michael Bay recently made headlines for wanting to shoot a pandemic thriller in LA, which would supposedly start filming less than a month from now. That seems too optimistic, but that project sounds like a found-footage-type project, so maybe it won’t involve many people on set at a time. Meanwhile, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp recently issued guidelines for the many TV and film productions that take advantage of the state’s tax incentives. We’ll probably hear more soon on how these shows and movies will plot their return voyages to set.

(Via Variety & Daily Mail)

Pablo Schreiber’s Defending Jacob character, Neal Logjudice, took quite a trip over the course of the Apple TV+ limited series. For most of the show, the pit bull of a prosecutor appeared much like a villain, rather than a mere antagonist to Chris Evans’ ex-Assistant District Attorney Andy Barber. With the finale, though, it became clear that Neal was working toward another objective (in flashback form) all along. Barber’s son had been cleared of murder charges, only to be accused of claiming a new victim during a celebratory family vacation. Then yet another terrible tragedy struck, and we saw that Neal was fighting for justice for the formerly accused, young Jacob Barber himself.

Of course, Pablo was no stranger to difficult roles before he landed this character-driven thriller series. He’s also a man of many different styles of acting and facial hair. Many people remember him as George “Pornstache” Mendez from OITNB. He’s also played a “leprechaun” with fabulous sideburns on American Gods, and he shaved it all off for Den Of Thieves. Pablo has also terrified viewers at times, including his portrayal of one of the evilest guys in Law and Order: SVU‘s lengthy history. He’s been somber on The Wire and funny as heck on Weeds. He can do everything, including confronting Chris Evans on Defending Jacob. Pablo was gracious enough to discuss the series finale with us and what it’s like to take on such a variety of roles.

First off, I hope you’re doing okay and staying safe during the time of quarantine.

Yeah, of course! I’m spending time with my kids. I’m actually a pig in sh*t if I can say it so crudely. I’m quite happy to be home. I was working in Hungary for about six months before the pandemic hit, so when we got shut down, I came home, and it feels like a real opportunity to be with the kids and taking care of their education. As harsh as the reality is in so many ways, there are definitely blessings in disguise, and one of them is spending time with your family when you didn’t think you were gonna get to.

A lot of us are switching up grooming habits as well, so I have to ask this question, since you are known for a few facial-hair roles. Are you experimenting with any of your old looks?

I’m fluctuating between just letting myself completely go for short periods of time until I have to do some kind of basic upkeep. I would say that I’m probably close to like a Den of Thieves. I try to shave or buzz my head every few weeks, and when my beard goes crazy, I trim it down. I’ve been tempted to just let it completely go. That was where I wanted to go, but then I just completed a few on-camera interviews, and probably nobody wants to see that.

Do you think anyone wants to see the Pornstache look again?

I’m sure lots of people would like to see that, but it’s not something that I wanna see at this point. [Laughs]

You’ve done a lot of anti-procedural (The Wire) and procedural (Law and Order: SVU) roles, so how did you settle upon doing Defending Jacob?

The writing. It was one of the most complete and well-written pieces that I’ve read in my career, really. When I got it, I got all eight episodes intact, and I thought Mark Bomback had done just an incredible, extraordinarily beautiful job of fleshing it out in a way and telling a story that really had to do with the moral complexity of being human, and to me, the way that he pulled back the curtain on the good-versus-bad stereotype to me was very sophisticated and beautiful. And so, the rest was trying to fulfill that vision. When it’s working, it does a really good job of that, and other times, it probably falls short, but I was really drawn to the writing.

I was going to ask how much of the script you saw going in, since we didn’t know why you were deposing Chris Evans’ character until the very end.

Yeah, exactly. I think especially for this role, to get somebody ready, you’d have to show them the ending to make the beginning work. You’re looking at Neal through a very different lens at the beginning than the end, and it really isn’t until the very end that he gets even just a smidge of explaining. Because you follow the Barber family and specifically Andy so closely, Neal’s at different times an annoyance or a complete force for evil. And it’s not until the very end that you realize that he’s really fighting and has fought since the court case. He kinda went a step too far during the court case, but in the New York Supreme Court deposition that you’re witnessing in periodic flashbacks, I think he’s trying to make amends for some of his overstepping of the bounds and really driving for justice for the kid. But you don’t realize that until the end, of course.

Do you check up on social media reactions while a show airs? There were some strong reactions to Neal, though they praised your performance.

Ohhhh well, if I was squeamish about that, I would have left this business a long time ago. I’m used to that. That’s okay, I’ve played various characters that you love to hate, and so my job is to fulfill my job within a story, and Neal felt like an opportunity to play someone who was viewed one way but only really because of perspective and point-of-view. At the end of the day, he’s actually just doing a really good job. He’s being a very successful prosecutor and doing everything that he needs to do to get justice with the information that he has at the time.

So, this show has a super, super cast. Was it an odd experience to pretend to intimidate Captain America?

Oh, Chris was a pleasure to work with. He’s quite clearly done incredible work in this series, the best of work of his career, I think, and that’s saying a lot. He’s done fantastic work across his career. I think his work in this is getting more subtle and more nuanced than a lot of stuff in his past, and it’s palpable, you can feel it. It was great fun to work with him and to create. Also, Cherry Jones is from my alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University and also a very classic theater actress. I started my career in the theater, and to get to spar with her was really, truly one of the highlights of my career. I’ll remember those days in the courtroom for a long, long time.

We don’t get too much backstory on Neal, probably intentionally. Did you know more about him?

Of course, you always wanna flesh out your backstory, and we see a little bit of that between characters. We learn that Andy and Neal, well, there was a mentor relationship, which actually goes a long way toward explaining a lot of the behavior and was quite — in terms of Andy being the person who taught Neal all of the things that he eventually uses on him — it’s a bit of a chickens-coming-home-to-roost situation. But besides the things that you see, you always wanna flesh out with history, or you get a non-complete human.

Do you have hopes for where Neal goes in his career?

Well, where I want him to go, and where I think he’s heading, might not be the same thing, but prior to the conclusion, when Patz confesses and kills himself, and the case gets dismissed, it’s a real turning point for Neal. I think prior to that moment, he was very political and wanted very much to be the [Assistant District Attorney]. He viewed himself as the next in line, and I think was doing everything possible to get himself in that position. And the moment when Patz confesses and kills himself, and he is faced with the fact that he went all out, to prosecute a child, who (at that moment) appears to not be guilty, I think it really rocks him to his core, and he questions everything that he was doing. And I think the idea of career politics becomes much less real for him, and we learn [later] that he’s decided to move on and go into private practice. So clearly, in my mind, his actions through the deposition, you realize that he’s been doing that all to get justice, but you see the lengths that he goes to make amends. And then in my mind, the idea of going into private practice for Neal — a guy who already has a loose hold on his own moral compass — the writing’s kinda on the wall. He’s going to become a very high paid [private attorney], and his moral compass is probably not going to be trained to true North at all.

Does a role like this go home with you at night? You’ve played a lot of heavy roles, even more than this one.

Yeah, I would say that this is less impactful than the heavier characters I’ve done in terms of me bringing it home and it affecting my life. Because of some of the heavier themes that I’ve dealt with, I feel like I’m well prepared to leave it at the door.

Do you prefer serious roles or the broad comedy that you sometimes do?

I wouldn’t say that it’s not an either-or situation. I wanna work in as many different colors as energies as I can. It’s really a great gift for me as a storyteller to push myself as many different places and be with people doing many different things. The variety of what I get to do is the biggest part of the attraction. So, comedy or drama for me, it’s “let’s do it all,” and they all have their own perks and interests. It’s a little bit like asking whether you prefer theater, film, or TV. They all have their own amazing strengths and unique qualities, so I’d hate to be forced to choose.

Well, you’re definitely doing it all. You’ve made me laugh and given me nightmares, so thank you for both of those.

Thanks, I appreciate that. I really feel grateful and very happy to get to do what I do. And to know that it has an effect that is wide ranging is probably the best compliment that I can get, so thank you.

The entire ‘Defending Jacob’ limited series is now available on Apple TV+.

Over the past week, protests have ensued across the country to call for an end to police brutality and to mourn the murder of George Floyd. Many cities issued curfews as a way to quell looters and destruction of property, with some cities like Seattle issuing curfews as early as 5:30 pm. But many protesters who showed up to peacefully demonstrate found police were installing barriers that made it difficult for some to navigate home. But protesters in New York found a way to convey their frustrations over police barricades by reciting choice lyrics from Ludacris.

A video captured of a recent New York protest depicts a line of police officers forming a barricade against a compact wall of demonstrators. In order to try to get the police to allow them space, protesters began chanting a line from Ludacris’ 2001 Word Of Mouf track “Move B*tch.” As armed police officers faced the large crowd, protesters began chanting in unison. “Move b*tch / Get out the way / Get out the way, b*tch / Get out the way,” they loudly chanted.

This isn’t the first time protesters used music to support their cause. Over the weekend, reports flooded in that the activist hacker group Anonymous had taken over Chicago police radios and began broadcasting N.W.A.’s track “F*ck Tha Police.” In 2017, “Move” was used as a chant by anti-Trump protesters.

Watch protesters chant Ludacris’ ‘Move B*tch’ above.