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André 3000 used to be famous as one-half of Outkast. But after releasing New Blue Sun on Friday, November 17, André 3000 is firmly cemented as a famous flutist. A solo album 17 years in the making, New Blue Sun predictably garnered mostly positive and widespread reaction over the weekend, even though it isn’t the rap album people have been desperately awaiting. Among the reaction was a rumor about whether André 3000 played the flute on Future’s “Mask Off,” arguably as surprising as the strictly instrumental album itself.

On Sunday, November 19, several outlets ran with a comment from Metro Boomin, who produced “Mask Off” for Future’s 2017 self-titled album. OnThinIce on X (formerly known as Twitter) cited a since-deleted post and wrote, “Metro Boomin reveals André 3000 played the flute on the intro of ‘Mask Off’ [flame emoji, flute emoji].” Other users have since added the context, “Metro was joking here. André 3000 did not play the flute on Mask Off. The flute is part of the sample.”

If that weren’t enough, Metro Boomin commented on Complex‘s Instagram post, including a video of Metro saying that Andre played the flute on “Mask Off” before playing the track. Complex aggregated it with the framing that André 3000 did, in fact, play flute on “Mask Off,” but Metro Boomin quickly shut that down in the post’s comment section.

“How are you all even considered a real news outlet?” Metro wrote.

Luckily, to avoid any future confusion, people can turn to eight New Blue Sun tracks if they want to hear André 3000 playing the flute.

New Blue Sun is out now via Epic Records. Find more information here.

That Snoop Dogg is such a rascal. Last week, the West Coast rap godfather (pardon me… “Doggfather”) sent the internet into a frenzy when he posted a graphic on his social media channels promising he was “giving up smoke.” Of course, given that smoking weed is the cornerstone of his personal brand, many assumed it meant he was giving up his favorite activity — possibly for health reasons.

Meanwhile, the shrewder among us suspected the announcement was simply teeing up the launch of another new product or endorsement deal. For one thing, we know that Snoop’s history with quitting the “Devil’s Lettuce” has been sketchy at best, and for another, we’re also aware of his nose for marketing and wicked sense of humor (the use of “smoke” and not “marijuana/cannabis/Mary Jane/pot/grass/reefer/chronic/tree/etc.” was a dead giveaway).

Well, lo and behold, here’s Snoop’s announcement of a new endorsement deal with Solo Stove, a brand of smokeless outdoor fire pits (see? dead giveaway). In the ad below, Snoop demonstrates the use of one of the products (which seem a little goofy to me; the smoke flavor is essential to anything you cook over an outdoor flame!).

So is Snoop Dogg still smoking weed? I guess you can never be 100 percent sure, but it seems likely (he’s probably lighting one up as you read this). Sorry, teetotalers, you lost this round. The only smoke the Dogg has given up is the kind you get from a campfire.

That Snoop Dogg is such a rascal. Last week, the West Coast rap godfather (pardon me… “Doggfather”) sent the internet into a frenzy when he posted a graphic on his social media channels promising he was “giving up smoke.” Of course, given that smoking weed is the cornerstone of his personal brand, many assumed it meant he was giving up his favorite activity — possibly for health reasons.

Meanwhile, the shrewder among us suspected the announcement was simply teeing up the launch of another new product or endorsement deal. For one thing, we know that Snoop’s history with quitting the “Devil’s Lettuce” has been sketchy at best, and for another, we’re also aware of his nose for marketing and wicked sense of humor (the use of “smoke” and not “marijuana/cannabis/Mary Jane/pot/grass/reefer/chronic/tree/etc.” was a dead giveaway).

Well, lo and behold, here’s Snoop’s announcement of a new endorsement deal with Solo Stove, a brand of smokeless outdoor fire pits (see? dead giveaway). In the ad below, Snoop demonstrates the use of one of the products (which seem a little goofy to me; the smoke flavor is essential to anything you cook over an outdoor flame!).

So is Snoop Dogg still smoking weed? I guess you can never be 100 percent sure, but it seems likely (he’s probably lighting one up as you read this). Sorry, teetotalers, you lost this round. The only smoke the Dogg has given up is the kind you get from a campfire.

That Snoop Dogg is such a rascal. Last week, the West Coast rap godfather (pardon me… “Doggfather”) sent the internet into a frenzy when he posted a graphic on his social media channels promising he was “giving up smoke.” Of course, given that smoking weed is the cornerstone of his personal brand, many assumed it meant he was giving up his favorite activity — possibly for health reasons.

Meanwhile, the shrewder among us suspected the announcement was simply teeing up the launch of another new product or endorsement deal. For one thing, we know that Snoop’s history with quitting the “Devil’s Lettuce” has been sketchy at best, and for another, we’re also aware of his nose for marketing and wicked sense of humor (the use of “smoke” and not “marijuana/cannabis/Mary Jane/pot/grass/reefer/chronic/tree/etc.” was a dead giveaway).

Well, lo and behold, here’s Snoop’s announcement of a new endorsement deal with Solo Stove, a brand of smokeless outdoor fire pits (see? dead giveaway). In the ad below, Snoop demonstrates the use of one of the products (which seem a little goofy to me; the smoke flavor is essential to anything you cook over an outdoor flame!).

So is Snoop Dogg still smoking weed? I guess you can never be 100 percent sure, but it seems likely (he’s probably lighting one up as you read this). Sorry, teetotalers, you lost this round. The only smoke the Dogg has given up is the kind you get from a campfire.

Taylor Swift posted a written message to her since-expired Instagram Story mourning the sudden death of 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides Machado at The Eras Tour in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on Friday, November 17. In part, Swift wrote, “I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it. I want to say now I feel this loss deeply, and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends.” It seemed as if Swift sang about it from the stage on Sunday night, November 19.

Swift’s second surprise song was “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” from Midnights (3am Edition). Swift has not said whether she was singing it for Benevides, but Swifties believed that this was her way of tributing her late fan. Given the song’s lyrics and Swift’s track record with moving intentionally at all times, it does not feel like a coincidence.

Someone in attendance caught the full performance on video.

Quinn Fife, a prominent Swiftie, resurfaced a December 2022 post by Benevides in which she quoted “Bigger Than The Whole Sky,” while other Swifties showed an outpouring of collective grief and support.

On November 7, an X (formerly known as Twitter) account said to belong to Benevides posted (translated from Portuguese to English), “Like I literally don’t know what my purpose in life will be after I see Taylor.”

On November 18, event organizer Time For Fun confirmed her death with a statement, as translated from Portuguese to English below:

“It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23 years old.

Last night, Ana Clara felt unwell and was promptly attended to by the team of firefighters and paramedics, being taken to the medical center at Estadio Nilton Santos for first aid protocol. Given the situation, the medical team chose to transfer him to Hospital Salgado Filho, where, after almost an hour of emergency care, she unfortunately died.

To the family and friends of Ana Clara Benevides Machado, our sincere condolences.”

pic.twitter.com/rC1N0Q0pBs

— T4F (@t4f) November 18, 2023

An official cause of death has not been publicly confirmed, though several Brazilian outlets have reported that Benevides “suffered cardiac arrest” (as relayed by several outlets, such as Time and USA Today) due to an extreme heat wave, conditions that forced Swift to postpone her second The Eras Tour concert in Rio from Saturday, November 18, to Monday, November 20.

Drake‘s collection of offbeat and personal tattoos is a subject of endless fascination for his fans. From getting his son’s name on his neck to his mother’s initials just under his eye, Drake keeps adding to the set, paying homage to his favorite people, places, and things.

His latest tattoo, according to eagle-eyed fans on social media, is of the word “miskeen,” and it’s just over his right eyebrow. Naturally, those who aren’t familiar with the term might wonder what it means.

“Miskeen” is an Arabic word which means, according to several sources, “poor” or “hopeless.” Its usage in Toronto slang stems from the strong presence of East African cultures in the city, including Ethiopians, Eritreans, and Somalians (it roughly translates to the same use in Amharic, the language of the Habesha people from Ethiopia and Eritrea, hench the above tweet). Modern use has taken this loan word and applied it to mean someone who is not down with street culture (like a mark or buster in Los Angeles). Drake’s tattoo could be a reference to its original use as well; his whole vibe has always been sort of forlorn and heartbroken, and on his recent albums he’s seemed even more so (with a dash of bitterness and spite thrown in).

Whatever Drake means by adding this tattoo to his face, it’ll only add to the endless speculation and discussion of his many inscrutable attributes.

Last week, Snoop Dogg shocked the world with an announcement he shared on social media, writing, “After much consideration & conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this time.” The logical first leap to be made there is that the post was Snoop declaring he was giving up weed. After thinking about it for a second, though, it felt more like Snoop was setting up some sort of product rollout or brand partnership (edibles, perhaps?).

Now, we know for certain that it was the latter (albeit not edibles): Today (November 20), Snoop shared an ad for Solo Stove, a smokeless fire pit company. On Instagram, he wrote, “I’m done with smoke. I’m going smokeless with @solostove. #ad.”

The video he shared is a close-up of Snoop that slowly zooms out to reveal he’s sitting in front of a Solo Stove. Meanwhile, he says, “I have an announcement: I’m giving up smoke. I know what you thinkin’: ‘Snoop, smoke is kind of your whole thing!’ But I’m done with it. I’m done with the coughing and my clothes smelling all sticky-icky. I’m going smokeless. Solo Stove fixed fire. They took out the smoke: Clever.”

Per a press release, Snoop, the company’s official “smokesman,” said, “I love a good fire outside, but the smoke was too much. Solo Stove fixed fire and took out the smoke. They changed the game and now I’m excited to spread the love and stay warm with my friends and family.”

Snoop is teaming up with the brand to design a signature line of Snoop Dogg x Solo Stove products. First (and available now for $420, here) is a limited edition bundle that includes a Bonfire Fire Pit designed by Snoop, a fire pit stand, a Snoop bucket hat, and a Snoop x Solo sticker pack.

It remains to be seen if the rappers Snoop Dogg inspired will follow through with giving up weed.

Earlier this month, John Oliver threw his full weight behind one of the most critical elections on the planet: The New Zealand “Bird of the Year” contest. Forest & Bird, the conservation group what runs the annual contest, had no idea what it was in for when it gave Oliver their blessing to launch his campaign, which even the comedian himself called “alarmingly aggressive.”

During an episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver mounted a now-viral push to make the pūteketeke the 2023 winner, and the response was overwhelming. Thousands of people crashed the voting site, and the results had to be delayed as Forest & Bird sifted through the chaos. Although, the group didn’t mind the hassle.

“It’s been pretty crazy, in the best possible way,” Chief Executive Nicola Toki told the Associated Press.

To the surprise of no one, Oliver’s outsized attention rocketed the pūteketeke to victory as the crested glebe won 290,374 out of 350,000 votes. Typically, the Bird of the Year contest only receives about 65,000 votes at best. Obviously, that changed once Oliver went nuts backing the mulleted bird.

“Pūteketeke began as an outside contender for Bird of the Century but was catapulted to the top spot thanks to its unique looks, adorable parenting style, and propensity for puking,” Toki said in a statement via The Guardian. “We’re not surprised these charming characteristics caught the eye of an influential bird enthusiast with a massive following.”

New Zealand’s national bird, the North Island brown kiwi, did come in second. However, with only 12,904 votes, it was a distant, distant second.

(Via The Guardian)

If there’s been one constant in Adele’s life over the past couple years, it’s talk about her and sports agent Rich Paul, her boyfriend… or perhaps husband? Over the weekend, she reportedly confirmed she and Paul and married.

As Metro reports, Adele attended friend Alan Carr’s stand-up show in Los Angeles, and during his set, he apparently asked if anybody in the audience had gotten married recently. According to supposed audience members who were in attendance, Adele reportedly shouted in response, “I did!”

It’s worth being at least a little skeptical here, though. Video or audio of Adele’s supposed proclamation has yet to surface. Furthermore, the source of the fan comments is Deuxmoi, a social media account focused on celebrity gossip. On top of that, even if Adele did say what she is reported to have said, she’s long been known to have a good sense of humor and she was at a comedy show, so it’s possible she was joking around and playing into all the rumors about her and Paul.

Whatever the case, Adele did refer to Paul as her “husband” back in September. Then, in October, Paul dodged (but didn’t deny) a question about all the marriage rumors. So, until one of them gives a straightforward and straight-faced answer on the record, who knows?

This week’s Fear The Walking Dead episode brought that long-suffering series to an end with an answer to a pressing question, and Daryl Dixon is between ass-kicking seasons, so the next logical question from The Walking Dead fans is this: when will we see Rick Grimes again?

More specifically, that would be a question about when Rick Grimes (looking like hell) will surface when Michonne rescues his tush in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live? No one can expect Rick to look like sunshine and roses (or Keanu Reeves next to Norman Reedus) after all that time under CRM control, even if they did save his life after his last horse debacle. Yet at least AMC answered the “when” question, so the official countdown can begin.

February 25 will be that day, which is slightly surprising because I imagined that this show would try for a Valentine’s Day-themed reunion between these long-lost lovers. Also, it sure sounds like Morgan will catch up with them as well, since he was looking for Rick in the FTWD finale, but Morgan doesn’t receive a mention (rude) in The Ones Who Live‘s synopsis:

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world. Kept apart by distance. By an unstoppable power. By the ghosts of who they were. Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead… And ultimately, a war against the living. Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive — or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?

Again, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live debuts on February 25.