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Suits fever became the name of the streaming game in 2023. Who would have thought? Nobody, that’s who. The series was, of course, successful for nine seasons of its USA Network run, and its full-on streaming home is at Peacock, but Netflix has the first eight installments, and the reception has been almost ridiculously successful. Before too long, NBC couldn’t resist picking the property back up for a spinoff, which we have already heard will be set in Los Angeles.

As well, it’s understood that this will generally involve a new cast of characters, and a lead character is now in our midst. As reported by Variety, Stephen Amell is donning those threads. He was recently freed up after the Starz cancellation of Heels, and here’s a tiny tidbit about his character:

Stephen Amell is suiting up. The actor will lead NBC’s upcoming “Suits” spinoff, “Suits: LA,” portraying Ted Black, “a charismatic force of nature who puts his own needs above others.”

From there, will we see any original cast members return? There’s been no official confirmation or denial on that front. It’s difficult to imagine that Meghan Markle would ever want to rejoin the party, but with other cast members appearing in Suits-themed commercials and public appearances, some sort of crossover feels inevitable. In other words, fingers are crossed that Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, or any other ex-Suit-ers will eventually be onboard, if only for cameos. Stay tuned.

(Via Variety)

The search party to track Polo G’s whereabouts can officially be called off. Firstly, the “Barely Holdin’ On” rapper was spotted attending Uproxx’s 2024 Grammys The Labels Brunch, in partnership with Verve Records. However, there are still a few lingering questions from supporters.

Why was Polo G’s album Hood Poet delayed? When will Hood Poet officially drop? What’s next for Polo G? Well, thanks to Polo G’s latest post on Instagram, the public now knows the latter. According to the upload, this Friday, February 16, Polo G is back to business as usual with a new single titled “Sorrys & Ferraris.”

“Everybody say they sorrys now [black heart emoji],” he wrote. “S&F [out on] 2/16.”

It is unclear if this upcoming record will restart Polo G’s album rollout schedule. This song could just be a loosie to hold his famished fans, to which they will gladly nibble. But after some digging, it appears that the expected release date has been updated on Apple Music’s pre-save page for Hood Poet. The new date under the highly anticipated album is August 2. Still, Polo G hasn’t seemed to confirm this on any of his social media pages.

So, for now, Polo G fans will have to hold out until February 16 for more details.

“Sorrys & Ferraris” is out 2/16 via Sony. Find more information here.

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Usher took over the Super Bowl for a spectacular halftime show that featured appearances from Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and HER which came days after he announced his Past Present Future Tour. Beyoncé announced her Cécred line of hair care products and Tinashe stopped by the NPR Tiny Desk to perform her hits and deep cut records. Elsewhere, there’s a new Beyoncé wax figure, Leon Bridges covered Bob Marley’s “One Love,” and Dixson released a video for “Friends.”

Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:

Usher — Coming Home

Usher returned home for his first solo album since 2016. Coming Home arrived complete with 20 track sand appearances from Summer Walker, 21 Savage, HER, Latto, The-Dream, Burna Boy, Pheelz, and Jung Kook for a body of work that pulls from the best of Usher’s past to the present as a promise of good days to come in the future. “Coming Home is an ode to going back to your roots, whatever or wherever that may be,” Usher said about the album. “I’m Coming Home to where I’m comfortable in being exactly who I am right now.”

Tori Kelly – “High Water”

This spring, Tori Kelly will release her fifth album TORI., a project that delivers the full picture of a woman coming into her own. The rollout for it initially began with her 2023 EP tori and it continues with her resilient new single “High Water.” Speaking about the new single in a press release, Kelly said, “Now my hope is that [“high water”] will uplift others in whatever they might be going through and encourage them to keep going.”

T-Pain — “Dreaming”

T-Pain is in a bit of a resurgence at the moment and it’s in large part due to the success of his On Top of The Covers (Live From The Sun Rose) project. Coming off that, the beloved singer returns with the soaring “Dreaming” as his first release of 2024. T-Pain was inspired to release the song thanks to “all this new-found and rekindled T-Pain love all over the place,” so hopefully that means more is on the way.

Eric Bellinger — “Gang Slide” Feat. Mozzy

On March 1, Eric Bellinger will celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Rebirth with the release of the third installation, The Rebirth 3: The Party & The After Party. The latest single from that project pairs Bellinger with Mozzy as both artists share their desires to meet with a woman who they deeply desire a night with despite only interacting with them through Facetime.

Honey Bxby — “Fkn Him Too”

Everybody loves to watch some drama now and then and New Jersey singer Honey Bxby provides that with her new single “Fkn Him Too.” Led by a sample of SWV’s “I’m So Into You,” Honey Bxby boasts about sleeping with another woman’s man and makes it clear that she and the other woman in the question are sharing this man. Think of SZA’s “The Weekend,” but blunter and unapologetic.

Ye Ali — Ye Ali & Chill 3

For his first project in a couple of years, Ye Ali returns with a new installment in the Ye Ali & Chill series. The third installment delivers five songs in a highly collaborative effort thanks to appearances from Kenyon Dixon, Lyfe Harris, Dcmbr, Bleulilbaby, RyFy, and Arianna Reid. It’s that late-night music perfect for your romantic efforts, whatever they may be.

Taylor Belle — “Love Letters To Myself”

With Valentine’s Day just days away, LA singer Taylor Belle is making sure her listeners prioritize self-love over that from someone else with her new single. “Love Letters To Myself” captures the journey that brought Belle to this revelation while reflecting on the events that brought her to this point. All of it is driven by a chorus where she sings, “I’m writing love letters to myself, before I give them to anyone else.”

Eli Derby — “Her Type”

For his first release since his departure from LVRN, singer Eli Derby returns in a boastful mood with his new single “Her Type.” It’s a record he uses to show how perfect of a partner he is to the special woman in his life. His ability to treat her well, treat her to special gifts, and impress her with his ambitions are all things that play a role in him being “her type.”

Äyanna — “Girlfriend (London Girls Mix)” Feat. Tamera & Mnelia

LVRN signee Äyanna ended her 2023 year with the release of her In A Perfect World and now the East London and Jamaica native is back with a special remix of one of the project’s highlight songs. “Girlfriend” receives a “London Girls Mix” with new features from Mnelia and Tamera with the two girls adding a verse each to the song directed at a partner they want to make things official

Langston Bleu — “Fool’s Gold”

With Love Is A Luxury on the way, Atlanta singer Langston Bleu returns with the project’s second single “Fool’s Gold.” Co-written with country singer Brittney Spencer, the song captures the moment Bleu reached a breaking point with a lover. Questions about her intentions and disappointment about their relationship going to waste are the foundation of the song, and in the end, Langston walks away with a whole new outlook on the woman he once called his own.

Sakura — “California”

It appears that 2024 will be the year that Atlanta singer Sakura treats fans to new music and even a new project. Her return starts with her new single “California,” Sakura’s first release since her 2021 project Don’t Overthink It. The ethereal single finds Sakura admitting to being jealous of California and wishing that she could loved by her partner just as much as the West Coast state.

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

Female empowerment comes in many forms. Some people prefer to see the world explained through a Barbie-esque lens, while others identify more with tough female leads, like drug dealers and scammers. But what if you just want to feel empowered, as a woman, by punching people in the face? If you let that thought sit in your brain for three seconds you will realize it’s what you’ve been missing, and the solution is to watch Bottoms.

Bottoms is the beloved satirical comedy starring Bodies Bodies Bodies creator Rachel Sennott and Ireland’s honorary princess Ayo Edebiri as two gay teens who start a female “fight club” to meet their cheerleader crushes. NFL All-Pro running back Marshawn Lynch plays their teacher. There’s a student in a cage. It features acts of vandalism set to “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Again, don’t think about it for too long, just understand what it is and that it will make you a better person if you watch it. And now you can!

After months of waiting, Bottoms is finally available for streaming on Amazon Prime. If you like the movie enough to throw money at it, you can also purchase the film on Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, and all of the other usual suspects.

While the movie was snubbed for Best Movie, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Animated Feature (it’s live-action, but still), it still managed to become a hit amongst critics and hold a solid 90% rating on Rotton Tomatoes. It also landed on UPROXX’s Best Movies of 2023 list, so there’s some extra credibility there.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Ben Affleck has found his one true love. No, not his wife, Jennifer Lopez, or his long-time buddy and writing partner, Matt Damon. They know, deep down, they can’t compete with Dunkin’.

One of the best commercials to air during Super Bowl LVIII was any ad without the cursed E*TRADE baby playing pickleball. Especially Dunkin’s “The DunKings,” featuring Affleck forming a track suit-wearing boy band with Damon and Tom Brady, as an embarrassed J-Lo looks on. Also, Jack Harlow and Fat Joe are there. The coffee and donut chain has now released an extended version of the commercial, which comes in at nearly four and a half minutes. Affleck has never looked happier.

You can watch the full-length “The DunKings” ad above.

Back in 2019, Affleck was asked about his love of Dunkin’. “It’s amazing! I have Dunkin Donuts everyday,” he told Collider (I believe him). “It’s very weird, I have it every day and people are always like, ‘Where is that? Is that near here?’ So, I feel like I’m spreading the word.”

In another life, Affleck would have really liked just eating bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches and drinking Coolattas with you.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Ben Affleck has found his one true love. No, not his wife, Jennifer Lopez, or his long-time buddy and writing partner, Matt Damon. They know, deep down, they can’t compete with Dunkin’.

One of the best commercials to air during Super Bowl LVIII was any ad without the cursed E*TRADE baby playing pickleball. Especially Dunkin’s “The DunKings,” featuring Affleck forming a track suit-wearing boy band with Damon and Tom Brady, as an embarrassed J-Lo looks on. Also, Jack Harlow and Fat Joe are there. The coffee and donut chain has now released an extended version of the commercial, which comes in at nearly four and a half minutes. Affleck has never looked happier.

You can watch the full-length “The DunKings” ad above.

Back in 2019, Affleck was asked about his love of Dunkin’. “It’s amazing! I have Dunkin Donuts everyday,” he told Collider (I believe him). “It’s very weird, I have it every day and people are always like, ‘Where is that? Is that near here?’ So, I feel like I’m spreading the word.”

In another life, Affleck would have really liked just eating bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches and drinking Coolattas with you.

Back in September 2023, Hasan Minhaj saw his chances of becoming the new The Daily Show host (and possibly his whole career) go up in flames after a damaging New Yorker article revealed that the comedian had embellished personal details about his life in his standup act. The most egregious instances were a story about his daughter receiving anthrax in the mail and a racist encounter involving his date to a homecoming dance.

At the time, Comedy Central simply said that the network was expanding its search “beyond Minhaj,” but a later report from Puck News claimed that Minhaj actually had the gig locked down until the New Yorker scandal stopped the process dead in its tracks. Now, former Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. is corroborating that story.

During a recent appearance on Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out podcast, Wood Jr. confirmed that the New Yorker article is “why everything fell apart.”

Via Entertainment Weekly:

“As far as I was told, Hasan was going to be the guy,” Wood said, noting that his initial reaction was, “Okay, cool, so I’ll hang out here the rest of the year, and we’ll see what Hasan wants to do, what his vision is, whether I fit in that. I’m still trying to sell my own sitcom, trying to write movies, there’s other s— I wanna do, but let’s see.”

“The New Yorker article comes out, and then the buzz is there’s a shift at Comedy Central in whether or not Hasan is still going to be the guy,” Wood said. “Which eventually turned into he’s not going to be the guy.”

Wood also revealed that the decision to abandon Minhaj led to Comedy Central having no idea what it was going to do with The Daily Show, and that’s when he decided to make his exit.

“In my opinion, they couldn’t articulate adequately enough for me what that process would be and whether or not I fit into that process,” he said.

We know that Comedy Central’s big move was to bring back Jon Stewart, but that surprise decision happened rather quickly after Stewart walked away from Apple TV. By that point, Wood was already gone and making moves for his post-Daily Show life.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Willie Nelson isn’t the only entertainer with a slew of friends ready to hit the stage with him. Yesterday (February 12), music legend Mavis Staples announced her plans to commemorate her 85th birthday.

Thanks to the singer’s partnership with Blackbird Presents, fans are invited to join the festivities through her all-star concert show. On Thursday, April 18, Staples and her signature vocals will take over Inglewood, California’s YouTube Theater. But Staples is not alone. So far, the performance’s lineup comprises Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Black Pumas, The War And Treaty, Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy, and Norah Jones. There are whispers that the talent list is expected to grow. But even deeper than that, from what was released, each musician was picked for sentimental reasons. All have expressed being influenced by Staples’ work across genres.

Other confirmed performers include Grace Potter, Keb’ Mo’, Jackson Browne, Michael McDonald, Nathaniel Rateliff, Robert Randolph, and Taj Mahal.

In a statement, Blackbird Presents CEO/Chief Creative Officer, Keith Wortman, gushed about the upcoming concert. “Producing this show is the honor of my life,” he said. “As we all come together to celebrate a woman whom has given so much to so many over the years through her actions, her music, and her magic.”

The public sale for Mavis Staples’ 85th All-Star Birthday Concert starts on Friday, February 16, at 10 a.m. PT. Find more information here.

After a nine year hiatus, Jon Stewart has returned as host of “The Daily Show.” And it’s a comeback so seamless, it’s as though he never truly left.

The GOAT of late night satire has a reputation for pointed humor, informed commentary and genuine enthusiasm for the topics he covers (not to mention his relentless interviewing skills) and Monday’s show had all these elements we’ve come to expect.

Wasting no time, Stewart dove right into one of his brutal but balanced assessments—this one of both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

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He didn’t mince words about Biden’s recent press conference gaffs and head-scratching TikToks, which he noted were huge missteps for dispelling fears about how the Biden’s age is affecting his cognition. It’s a subject many liberals feel hesitant to acknowledge—but not Stewart.

“Fire everyone. Everyone!” he quipped. “How do you go on TikTok and end up looking older?”

Of course, he spared no punches with Trump’s age or mental faculties, referencing the former president’s bizarre warnings of Pennsylvania name begin changed should Republicans lose the race, saying “Biden’s lost a step, but Trump regularly says things at rallies that would warrant a wellness check.”

He then showed clips of Trump and his family being deposed and, similar to Biden, not being able to recall rather basic facts, dropping this wise-crack: “It turns out that the leading cause of early onset dementia is being deposed.”

Of course, with Stewart it’s never just jokes. Getting more serious, he noted how both candidates might be “similarly challenged,” and how in both instances, voters and outside allies are the ones expected to “silence concerns and criticisms”, when in reality “it is the candidates’ job to assuage concerns, not the voters’ job not to mention [them].”

And even though Stewart has far more criticisms of Trump, he succinctly noted why this particular threat to democracy calls for either a better plan, or a stronger candidate.

“Look, Joe Biden isn’t Donald Trump,” he said. “He hasn’t been indicted as many times, hasn’t had as many fraudulent businesses or been convicted in a civil trial for sexual assault or been ordered to pay defamation charges or stiffed blue collar tradesman….. The stakes of this election don’t make Donald Trump’s opponent less subject to scrutiny. It actually makes him more subject to scrutiny. If the barbarians are at the gate, you want Conan [the Barbarian] standing on the ramparts, not chocolate chip cookie guy.”

This is all followed up by “on the plus side, I’m told at some point the sun will run out of hydrogen.” Jon Stewart at his finest.

Naturally, fans were thrilled to see Stewart back in action. Here’s what some had to say:

“THIS is how you return to a show. Utterly seamless.”

“John has so much personality that just cannot be replicated. This is amazing to have him back.”

“Welcome back ! The world needs you now, more than ever! Thank you for your courage.”

“This man’s comedic timing is even better than before, and I sure did miss his sharp wit. I’m hoping I can find his full episodes somewhere where I don’t have to pay. I pay enough for cable and internet as it is. WELCOME BACK JON!”

“All hail the king! JON STEWART IS BACK!”

Stewart will continue hosting the Monday night slot on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” throughout the 2024 presidential election cycle. More gems to come.

Every once in a while, a story of two strangers turns into a shared connection that touches millions. This is one of them.

Sanai Graden is a 21-year-old college student living in Washington, D.C., who likes to vlog on TikTok while she does everyday things. As she was heading to the grocery store on a random day at the end of January 2024, she turned on her camera, and soon after, a man approached and asked her if she could help him get some hot tea.

Not money. Not even food. Just some simple, hot tea.

Graden told the man she was going to Trader Joe’s and he could go along with her and they could stop at Starbucks. As they walked and chatted, Graden learned the man was homeless, had no family and was suffering from prostate cancer. He has just gotten insurance, but it wouldn’t kick in for 45 days and he needed a prescription filled.

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Over the next four to five hours, Graden got him some tea, helped him get his prescription filled so he could get some relief from his pain and put him up in a hotel room for the night. By the end of the day, she was calling him “Unc,” and he was calling her his “angel.”

She left him with some cash and her phone number and then posted this video:

@hustlanani

Please help me help him !

At the end, she said she wanted to start a GoFundMe for Unc (whose real name is Alonzo), and she did just that.

“I’m just a college student, there’s only so much I can do,” she shared in another TIkTok. “I did the best I could. But that man, he was literally suffering, and it broke my heart…He was so kind…I just wanted to help him.”

Her initial video started going viral—it currently has over 20 million views—and people started donated to the GoFundMe. When it reached $12,000 in a matter of hours, she called her parents to tell them about it. They told her she was exactly the right person to be helping this man because she will make sure the money is used to get him what he needs.

@hustlanani

Replying to @The JasmynYvette Thank you so much eve

Little did she know that that $12,000 would soon rise to $20,000, and then to $50,000, then $100,000 and more. As of the writing of this article, two days after the GoFundMe went up, it has jumped the $300,000 mark.

At this point, so many people are invested in Unc’s well-being. Upwards of 20,000 people have donated, and the number just keeps rising. As one commenter put it, “He’s everyone’s Unc now.”

Graden went to tell him the good news the next morning when the GoFundMe was around $150,000, but when she arrived at the hotel, he had already checked out. She searched everywhere she thought he might be, even renting a car to cover more ground more quickly, but she wasn’t able to find him.

Finally, she shared a brief voice message he left for her that started, “Hey, Niece! It’s your uncle,” and ended with “I love you!” but he neglected to tell her where he was. After she looked around some more, he called again and and told her he was at church. She told him to wait right there.

She found him in front of a church and invited him to go get something to eat. She said she wanted to talk to him in private, but he was waiting with his aunt and couldn’t leave just yet. Finally, she was able to sit with him in her car and tell him about what thousands of people were doing to help him live comfortably and more easily manage his cancer.

She had to convince him the money was his, not theirs together. He also said he hadn’t finished writing her a letter he’d started.

@hustlanani

I know you’ve all been waiting on his reaction. I just made it home. Please enjoy it. Thank you everyone for coming together. This would not have been possible without the endless support. This is just the beginning of something great. I’m enternally grateful. God did that !!!

The first thing Graden did was take Alonzo to Target to get him his own phone and some new clothes of his choosing. He even had a little laugh with Graden when she asked him if he wanted to get some floss, forgetting that he doesn’t have any teeth.

@hustlanani

This story is still developing and there are obviously a lot of complex details to work out as they get Alonzo settled with however much money the GoFundMe ultimately raises. No one wants Alonzo to lose his health benefits, and there are various financial as well as mental and emotional elements to consider as they move forward. But the power of the kindness of strangers to change someone’s circumstances, starting with just one caring soul, is certainly worth celebrating.

Follow @hustlanani on TikTok for updates on Unc.