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To a casual observer, it seems like Ice Spice has gone from being relatively unknown to one of the biggest stars in hip-hop practically overnight. “Munch (Feelin’ U),” her breakout single, only came out a little over a year ago, and since then, the Bronx-born rapper has been featured on songs with Taylor Swift and the soundtrack of the biggest movie of the year.

For some people, all of this has happened too quickly to be organic and there’s only one explanation for Ice Spice’s rapid rise to stardom (other than, y’know, a lot of people liking her music); she must be an industry plant.

Growing more popular than ever over the past few years, “Industry plant” is the term leveled at entertainers who seemingly have it too good, too quickly (it’s related to “nepo babies” without the family connections). If ever an artist starts to receive a lot of really high-profile looks in a short amount of time without a history of putting out a lot of music prior to their big breakout moment, it’s assumed that shadowy forces (usually major labels) have cooperated to make it so.

It’s an accusation that’s been thrown at any number of artists who seemed to get popular in a hurry, from Chance The Rapper and Cardi B to Flyana Boss, Lil Nas X, and HER — usually by folks who arrived late to the hype train, once it had already left the station.

Is Ice Spice An Industry Plant?

No. Come on.

Whether Ice Spice’s rise was 100 percent organic or due to the machinations of label reps behind the scenes, she wouldn’t be where she is today without tons of fan support. People are streaming her songs and buying tickets to see her perform; brands recognize the platform she now has and are taking advantage.

(And anyway, if a label is pouring resources into helping to increase awareness of an artist under its umbrella — that is LITERALLY THE LABEL’S JOB. That is what they are supposed to do and what they have always done. Just because it doesn’t always work doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. For every one success story are dozens of flops labels also spent a lot of money on. People just like Ice Spice. It’s not the end of the world. Relax.)

Ice Spice herself addressed rumors of her industry plant status in a new interview with Variety saying, “A lot of people have thrown that in my face — like ‘Oh, I’ve never seen anything happen so quickly. She needs to be studied,’ or ‘She’s a plant. I just let people believe whatever they want to believe, to be honest. I don’t really mind all the rumors. At first, I did, but now I’m at a point where I understand that just comes with this lifestyle.”

In any event, I have a theory of my own. If you spend enough time checking the timelines and profiles of the folks calling Ice Spice — or any successful artist — an industry plant, you WILL find a link to a SoundCloud or Spotify page with some mediocre music and less than 1,000 plays. Because the real reason anyone believes in that particular conspiracy theory is some good, old-fashioned “why not me”-flavored sour grapes.

(Spoilers for Amazon’s Gen V will be found below.)

The Boys spinoff Gen V stays true to its gory and raunchy roots. The series debuted with a fiery episode (and two more) that left viewers realizing that it’s best not to get attached to characters too fast.

One exception, hopefully, would be Emma Meyer/Little Cricket (Lizzy Broadway), who is still standing, although she might wish otherwise. Her powers will remind fans of Termite, and Little Cricket’s work got dirty, fast.

That wasn’t the worst of it. Emma had a hookup scene and found that her beau had been crushing on her, but really, he was interested in her ability to shrink down to less than one inch in size. And he asked if she could do that for him while they did the thing. Soon enough, fans got a load of one of the season’s many dong shots, which turned into some impressive WTF stunt work. Cue Cricket hanging onto a prosthetic penis for dear life while the dude asked her to confirm that he was so big. Then came the ball stomping request. It was nuts. She should have climbed into an orifice and taught him a lesson.

That didn’t happen this time. Yet what is worth noting is how Little Cricket activates her powers to shrink down to itty bitty size. It’s one of many characters on this show whose powers manifest through very uncomfortable and possibly triggering mechanisms. Cricket purges the contents of her stomach in order to shrink. It’s a stark and sobering metaphor, and as with everything to do with this franchise, it’s handled with pitch black humor. We see Cricket kneel in front of a toilet and beginning the purging process, and before we know it, the show hits us with the sex scene. Only The Boys could get away with this.

Long live Little Cricket. She had better not get squished.

New episodes of Amazon’s ‘Gen V’ stream on Fridays.

Class is in session for the suped-up adolescents of Gen V.

The young adult spin-off of Amazon Prime’s diabolical superhero experiment The Boys takes its world — where exceptionally powered heroes have proven to be exceptionally heinous jerks — and adds a touch of mystery, some raging hormones, and an exploding body or two. The end result? A gory, volatile, absolutely addictive college drama that manages to answer the question of its own existence without leaning too heavily on the original storyline imagined by Garth Ennis, Eric Kripke, and company.

That’s not to say that Vought and The Seven are missing from the world of Gen V. Early on, as the show’s protagonist Marie (Jaz Sinclair), a woman who wields ribbons of her own blood Indiana Jones-style, escapes a correctional facility to attend the supe training institute known as Godolkin University, we see their influence. Everyone from Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligot) to A-Train (Jessie Usher) and The Deep (Chace Crawford) have graduated from this place, honing their skills with courses in crimefighting and personal branding in order to monetize their genetic anomalies. And, in the timeline of the bigger Boys universe, Gen V is situated just after the events of season three, which means fans of that show can expect cameos from names like Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) and former Vought CEO Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie).

But even as it borrows elements from Kripke’s flagship, it always seems in on its own joke. There’s an irony in a show, famous for skewering the franchise-ification of comic book stories, franchising its own superhero-verse. Gen V knows that. It’s laughing at itself, along with the rest of us, while still dropping bodies and bloodying the walls and lobbing magnified d*cks in our faces every chance it gets.

And to celebrate this irreverent debauchery, we’re recapping this season via a leaderboard ranking, not unlike that of Godolkin itself. Instead of heroics, we’re taking stock of the wildest, most WTF moments in each episode because yes, using your supernatural abilities for good is cool but do you know what’s cooler? Burning your teacher to a crisp and shrinking yourself so that you’re small enough to cage-fight a hamster named David Caruso.

Here is where our f*cked up leaderboard sits after episode one’s “God U.”

7. Andre’s Murderous Pick-up Line

A charming slacker with daddy issues and a healthy disgust for corporate branding, Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo) instantly ingratiates himself to Marie when the two witness a strange escape attempt featuring an erratic student and a human swat team that hints at a bigger mystery to come. Of course, Andre could care less about secret experiments conducted in underground facilities dubbed “The Woods,” he wants to get high and f*ck – in that order. Unfortunately, that means that, while chatting up a girl in a club a few of the students have snuck into, Andre’s ecstasy-addled brain decides using his powers to shape a coin into a delicate bird before flying it into another patron’s cup is a surefire way to score. Maybe it would’ve worked if that guy hadn’t bumped into him, but try telling that to the girl currently bleeding out on the dance floor as Ofenbach’s “Body Talk” blares through the speakers.

6. Golden Boy’s Hot Hug

Luke Riordan (Patrick Schwarzenegger) might have the personality of undercooked rice but he launches a fiery rebellion towards the end of the show’s premiere after a cocaine binge reveals secrets he just can’t live with anymore. We’re still not sure what those secrets are, or what Professor Brink (Clancy Brown) did to the kid that convinced him to do his best Johnny Storm impersonation while the two were wrapped in an embrace but the old man probably deserved it.

5. Cricket’s Hamster Heavyweight Bout

Some freshmen deal with the crushing expectations and debilitating uncertainty of college life by throwing themselves into clubs, making friends, and passing out on sticky fraternity floors. Not Little Cricket. Real name Emma Meyer (Lizzie Broadway), Cricket is capable of shrinking her body to around half an inch in size and she makes use of this weird ability via her Youtube channel where she delights fans by wrestling her pet gerbil, David Caruso, in order to psyche herself up for the bullying she’s about to endure on campus. Go to therapy, Cricket.

4. The Purge

Speaking of needing an intervention, one of the darker moments in the show’s season premiere centered around Emma’s ability – its inherent uselessness to its wielder and its potential to be exploited by shallow-minded creeps. You see, Cricket can’t just shrink on command, she must empty the contents of her stomach, purging herself in a bathroom stall in order to achieve her “ideal” size. Who said metaphors were dead?

3. Golden Boy’s Golden Shower

No, we’re not referencing a weird sex thing – although we wouldn’t rule out the possibility on a show like Gen V. Instead, our top three ranked WTF moment focuses on Luke’s surprisingly swift turn to the dark side. After killing Brink, Golden Boy believes he has no choice but to silence Marie before she can reveal his part in the professor’s death. A chase ensues, fellow supe Jordan Li (London Thor and Derek Luh) attempts to save her, and eventually, Andre has to talk his friend off the proverbial cliff. Luke simmers down long enough to apologize before reigniting and going out in a blaze of glory while everyone records his meltdown on their phones.

2. Marie’s Killer Period

The transition from girlhood to womanhood is brutal, bloody, and horrifying – but it’s never looked quite like this. Marie’s rite of passage turns hellish when her latent powers manifest. As if hemorrhaging from your vagina wasn’t terrifying enough, Marie discovers that her blood is sentient, responding to her call and acting out when she’s stressed or scared. It accidentally slashes her mom’s throat, hurls shards of tile into her dad’s skull, and leaves her an anemic, murderous mess on the bathroom floor. Somehow, we just know Fiona Apple would love this.

1. Cricket’s Shrink Kink

Purging yourself to hang off a random guy’s d*ck is one thing, but Cricket takes self-loathing to a whole new level in a scene that will likely break the internet – or at least the minds of fans who haven’t seen that “Herogasm” episode yet. Not only is this guy pressuring her to shrink herself in order to offer him pleasure – and him only because, let’s face it, wrapping yourself around a man’s penis when it’s the size of a Sequoia tree isn’t doing it for anyone – but he has the gall to order her to stomp on his sack while she holds on for dear life. One slip, one wrong foot placement, and it’s over for this girl.

In his music, Grammy Award-winning emcee J. Cole often prides himself on mentoring the new generation of rappers. As a veteran in the game, the Dreamville Records head honcho advocates for peace amongst the new wave of entertainers. However, it looks like he’s unintentionally been roped into one of the culture’s biggest feuds. Never one to back down from the opportunity to lyrically spar with other acts, Cole seemingly decided to address the matter on his new track with Lil Yachty. So, did J. Cole diss NBA YoungBoy on “The Secret Recipe?”

Although he doesn’t directly mention YoungBoy by name, it surely seems like that’s who he’s talking about. In his verse, J. Cole raps, “Studio steppers movin’ extra on songs, fakin’ rep / Only breakin’ bad in the lab, thought y’all was makin’ meth / N****s makin’ threats and I laugh, that’s ’cause you ain’t a threat / Don’t ask how I feel ’bout no rappers, sh*t, they okay, I guess / Incomin’ call, press the button, the one that say accept / He FaceTime to ask for a feature and saw the face of death / I’m on your song, your streams goin’ up, not quite the Drake effect / But don’t complain, b*tch, take what you get and cut the label check.”

Cole has had public spats with Kanye West, Diddy, and even Lil Pump, but given YoungBoy’s recent jab, there is little room for anything else to be considered. “J a ho’, that n**** played it cold, like he was gon’ do a feature,” rapped YoungBoy on his recent song “F*ck The Industry Pt. 2.”

Based on both YoungBoy and Cole’s lyrics, their friction could be tied to a potential collaboration gone sour. However, fans online believe that the war of words kicked off after J. Cole appeared on his longtime rival and fellow rapper Lil Durk’s song “All My Life.”

The iHeart Radio Jingle Ball is known for good lineups, after having artists like Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, and BTS in the past. The touring festival makes stops through cities in Florida, Michigan, California, Texas, Georgia, and more states, but the most major event is the one in New York City, which is taking place on December 8 this year.

The lineup for the New York City event is nothing short of exciting. On the roster is Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, OneRepublic, Sabrina Carpenter, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, Pentatonix, David Kushner, and Melanie Martinez.

Other dates have Ice Spice, Usher, Flo Rida, Lil Durk, Nicki Minaj, Marshmello, Niall Horan, Zara Larsson, and more. Find more information here.

Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter on the same lineup is sure to cause a stir in the fan base. Upon the 2021 release of Rodrigo’s famous hit “Drivers License,” rumors spread that the “blonde girl” mentioned in the song was actually Carpenter, who shared the same ex as her: Joshua Bassett. However, Rodrigo debunked the gossip: “I don’t really subscribe to hating other women because of boys. I think that’s so stupid, and I really resent that narrative that was being tossed around,” she said when asked about it.

Alex Jones stopped by an Australia jiu-jitsu champ’s podcast and did what any sane person would do: Begged to have the oxygen cut off to his brain.

While chatting with world champ Craig Jones, the InfoWars host complained that MMA star Eddie Bravo wouldn’t choke him out on Joe Rogan’s show. Realizing he might have a more willing taker, the conspiracy theorist start begging Craig to do the honors.

“Come on, come do it. Wide shot. Here we go,” Alex said. “I’m a lights-out. Take a little snoozy.”

Like any polite host, Craig obliged and proceeded to put Alex in a rear-naked choke, which according to The Daily Beast, is one of the best known submission moves in the world. The embattled podcaster who owes billions to the Sandy Hook families was out almost immediately.

“What? What did I just do?” Jones asked after waking up. “What was I just doing? Did I actually pass out? Huh? I did pass out? Did you really do it? What was I like when I came back?”

Of course, this is Alex Jones we’re talking about, so it’s fair to ask if he really passed out. It doesn’t look entirely convincing to our eyes, and Craig seems to be laughing the whole time. In fact, he joked about it later on Instagram.

“The CIA sent me but I couldn’t do my dad like that,” he wrote alongside a clip of the now-viral moment.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Following a summer of box office duds, including Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Haunted Mansion, Disney will soon start cracking down on password sharing on its Disney+ streaming service.

The Verge reports that Disney sent an email to Canadian subscribers this week detailing the new rules on password sharing, but “has not provided many details on how it plans to enforce this policy.”

The new wording on the Canadian subscriber agreement reads, “Unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier, you may not share your subscription outside of your household. ‘Household’ means the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein. Additional usage rules may apply for certain Service Tiers.” If the terms are broken, “we may limit or terminate access to the Service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this Agreement.”

The announcement comes over a month after Disney’s Q3 earnings call, where CEO Bob Iger said that the company was “actively exploring” ways to address shared accounts. Iger said that a “significant” number of people are currently sharing passwords across Disney’s services and added that Disney has the “technical capability” to monitor sign-ins.

I’m picturing Mickey enforcing the new rules by busting into my house with his robot guards because I shared my Disney+ password with my my four-year-old niece so she can watch Bluey. I guess we’ll find out in Canada on November 1st, which is when the password crackdown is expected to begin.

(Via The Verge)

Since NSYNC’s public reunion at the 2023 VMAs, questions about their future have flooded social media. Would the group begin touring soon? Would they record a new album? Without confirmation from the members, boy band lovers will continue to speculate. To further fuel fans’ burning interest, NSYNC teamed up for a new song, “Better Place,” which will appear on the Trolls Band Together movie soundtrack.

It’s been over 20 years since their last musical release, but there’s no booth rust from Justin Timberlake and company. “Better Place” is the exact nostalgic pop music magic their fans were craving. With light-hearted lyrics, airy production, and their signature harmonies, NSYNC checks off each box necessary to make “Better Place” the formulaic comeback.

“Don’t want it any other way / Tell all your friends are gonna stay / When we’re together / You know that we do it better / I don’t mind if the world spins faster / The music’s louder, the waves are getting stronger / I don’t mind if the world spins faster, faster, faster, faster / Just let me take you to a better place / I’m gonna make you kiss the sky tonight / Yeah, if you let me show the way (show the way) / I’m so excited to see you excited” I’ll take you to a better place (yoohoo),” sings the band.

Although the track will appear on a children’s film feature, it is tailored for the parents rather than their goobers.

Listen to “Better Place” above.

Trolls Band Together will hit theaters in November. Find more information here.

A couple days ago, Matty Healy broke a lot of hearts at The 1975‘s opening night of their Still At Their Very Best Tour. “It’s wonderful you’re all here,” he said. “After this tour, we will be going on an indefinite hiatus with shows, so it’s wonderful to have you guys with us tonight. Thank you so much.”

Healy clarified last night, September 28, at their San Jose show, that it is, in fact, just a small break, not a breakup, which many fans assumed. “We didn’t mean to scare any hardcore fans by insinuating that we were splitting up or anything like that,” he said to a crowd of cheering, relieved fans. “That’s not happening.”

It makes sense that they would take a break; their last tour garnered them enough publicity for a while, with Healy eating raw meat, making out with fans, and touching himself on stage. There was also the band’s controversial performance in Malaysia, during which they protested the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws. They were subsequently banned from Malaysia, and people accused Healy of overstepping and having a white savior complex. “All I’ll say is that I don’t give a f*ck about any white savior complex bullsh*t,” he responded to criticism.

Elon Musk took time off from painfully flirting with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez yesterday to visit the U.S.-Mexico border. He wanted to get an “unfiltered” view of the situation — and an excuse to wear a cowboy hat.

“Let me preface by also saying that I am, you know, as an immigrant to the United States, I’m extremely pro-immigrant,” Musk said, according to The Hill. “I believe that we need a greatly expanded legal immigration system and that we should let anyone in the country who is hardworking and honest and will be a contributor to the United States.” He added that he’s “very much in favor of expanded legal immigration” and that “anyone who is hardworking and honest” should be let in, but from his vantage point in Eagle Pass, Texas, “what we’re seeing here are, in some cases, some pretty extreme individuals coming through… obviously not suggesting everyone is like this.”

Musk made these remarks on X, but his first attempt to “engage in citizen journalism” was interrupted by technical problems. Hm, that sounds familiar. Things got so bad, he sent a company-wide email with only three words: “Please fix this.” Eventually, the livestream started working smoothly, but while it was down, someone should have told Elon to fix his hat.

(Via The Hill)