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Travis Scott’s highly-anticipated fourth album, Utopia, will be coming soon, according to the Houston hitmaker. However, not before his Cactus Jack artists, Sheck Wes, Don Toliver, SoFaygo, and DJ Chase B, drop their upcoming projects.

In a clip that has surfaced online, the rapper and producer can be seen on stage sharing the announcement with a crowd of fans, who were more than excited to hear the news.

Travis Scott hasn’t said much about his upcoming project but did note that it would be out sometime this year. The rapper has been slowly creeping back into the public’s eye since the tragedy at Astroworld, his annual music festival, in 2021. Recently, Scott made appearances on both Metro Boomin’s Heros & Villians as well as SZA’s SOS album that was released last year.

Aside from new music, the rapper is expected to perform at Rolling Loud and the Wireless Festival alongside acts like Cardi B, Playboi Carti, and more.

Don Toliver will be the first Cactus Jack artist expected to drop this year. The “After Party” rapper’s third album Love Sick will be released on Friday (February 24). In the meantime, the rest of the Jackboys are hard at work on their upcoming projects.

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

Drill rapper Ice Spice’s growing popularity isn’t just causing a frenzy during her pop-up concerts at New York Fashion Week or even for a flash mob performance to promote her EP Like…? in Time Square. The Bronx native’s latest collaboration with British singer PinkPantheress on the song “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” is not only all the buzz on TikTok but has now secured the No. 1 position on the Apple Music charts.

The irresistible dance track has dethroned Morgan Wallen’s song “Last Night” to lock in the top position on Apple Music’s US charts, according to Pop Base.

Despite both PinkPantheress and Ice Spice being fairly new acts within their respective genres, that hasn’t stopped them from garnering a huge fan following across social media, earning the respect of some of music’s biggest names, or finding their music on the charts. In fact, last month, Ice Spice landed her first placement on the Billboard charts with her single, “Gangsta Boo,” featuring Lil Tjay.

“Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2” not only occupies the top spot of Apple Music’s charts but, according to Pop Base, it has also retained the No. 1 spot on Spotify’s US charts for a second consecutive day bringing in a total of 2.33 million streams.

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

Richard Belzer, the edgy comic who pivoted into a record-breaking long run as detective John Munch, a character he played across multiple series, has passed away at his home in southwest France. He was 78.

Belzer’s passing was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, who spoke to his friend Bill Scheft. Belzer allegedly went out with bristling sarcasm. “He had lots of health issues, and his last words were, ‘F*ck you, mother*cker,’” Scheft told THR.

Belzer began in comedy, making his film debut in 1974’s cult film The Groove Tube, which also featured a pre-SNL Chevy Chase. Belzer joined Chase on the longtime late night sketch show, sort of: He was the show’s warm-up comedian and made a few appearances in the early years. He soon became a stand-up staple, regularly appearing on late night television.

For 22 seasons (plus a brief reappearance in 2016), Belzer played the role that would come to define him: the cynical but do-gooding investigator John Munch, who was born on Homicide: Life on the Streets. When that show ended, Munch ventured from Baltimore to New York City. There Munch became part of the Law & Order-verse, joining the spinoff Special Victims Unit. Belzer also played the character in other shows, ranging from The Wire to The X-Files to Arrested Development to American Dad.

For years Munch was the longest running consecutive primetime live-action character in television history (since eclipsed by his former SVU colleague Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson).

Belzer retired in 2016. His last appearance was in the 2017 Gilbert Gottfried documentary Gilbert. Pour one out for a real one.

(Via THR)

Whether it be music or business, 50 Cent has never been one to hold back.

Recently the Queens-bred mogul stopped by MSNBC to chat about his career and the new deal with FOX, the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, and more. During the conversation, the host talked with 50 Cent about his thoughts on Billboard’s list of the “Best Rappers of All Time,” where he placed 17th. While flattered at the nod, the rapper noted how flawed countdown lists can be and that “music marks time,” speaking to the generational rift between the OG rappers and younger ones.

50 Cent said for today’s music consumer, Future, is the more prominent artist right now compared to an older rapper like Jay-Z.

“[He’s] way bigger,” 50 said, “Like, there’s consistent music from him that didn’t chart that, huge records that people love and appreciate. Later, it may not have the same things to hold onto that you have at points.”

But not everyone seems to agree with the Power creator. Fat Joe agrees with the list and believes that Jay-Z— who earned the No.1 spot— is more relevant now than ever. While on Instagram live last week, Joe noted that many emcees who were the “gods at the time” with “flows like nobody else” fell off, whereas Jay-Z has remained consistent.

Miley Cyrus is getting into album mode. The singer has been finding the most creative ways to promote her upcoming album, Endless Summer Vacation. Recently, the “Flower” singer decided to mail out postcards to fans, offering a cryptic message, which could presumably be lyrics from her forthcoming project.

“I’m driving around town in a beat-up old Mercedes. You think I’m crazy; you might be right,” the postcard reads.

It’s unclear what song these lyrics belong to since the former Disney star hasn’t released the album’s tracklist yet, but we expect it to drop soon. Endless Summer Vacation is scheduled to be released on March 10. While the singer hasn’t said much about the album, it seems to be heavily inspired by LA, which is where she also recorded the project.

While there has been no news about possible features, it has been confirmed that she worked with producers Kid Harpoon, Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Tyler Johnson, according to a press release.

The album’s lead single, “Flowers,” arrived early this year and has been taking over the charts ever since. The track is her longest-running No.1 single and has spent four weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Judging by the first single, this album is setting itself up as a smash hit.

Endless Summer Vacation is out on 3/10 via Columbia. You can pre-order it here.

Tom Cruise is arguably more popular now than he’s ever been, which is saying something. You could even say he’s had a comeback. In the mid-aughts, the A-lister fell on some hard times. His beliefs, in Scientology and on psychiatry, got him in trouble. He jumped on Oprah’s couch (in a bit taken out of context, mind you). But the public seems to have fully moved on. Well, most of them.

While emceeing the Director’s Guild of America Awards this weekend, Judd Apatow laid into Cruise, digging up some old scandals.

“Remember when Tom Cruise jumped up and down on the couch and we all thought, ‘What a lunatic!’” Apatow told the crowd. “And now he rides a motorcycle off a cliff and BASE jumps and we’re all like, ‘Tom’s fine!’”

That was just the beginning. “Tom is not fine. Someone needs to explain to him something called CGI. You’re 60. Calm down,” Apatow said. “But every time he does one of these new stunts, it does feel like an ad for Scientology. I mean, is that in Dianetics? Because there’s nothing about jumping off a cliff in the Torah.”

He still wasn’t done. “The only thing he seems to be afraid of is co-parenting and antidepressants,” Apatow joked. “I doubled my Prozac today just for this. I doubled it! Do you think if Tom Cruise took antidepressants, he’d be like, ‘I’m not jumping out of a fucking cliff. I’m rich!’”

The telecast kept cutting to Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, who awkwardly grinned as his star was torn asunder.

Anyway, Cruise will probably be fine. If he needs comfort, he can just jump off a plane again.

(Via Variety)

Skrillex made his epic return to music on Friday (February 17) with the release of his album, Quest For Fire. The 15-track project marked the record producer’s first solo full-length drop in nine years. Fans of Skrillex’s patience paid off as the DJ treated them to several singles, “Way Back” with Trippie Redd and PinkPantheress, “Rumble” with Fred Again.. and Flowdan, “Leave Me Like This” with Bobby Raps, and “Xena” with Nai Barghouti before its release. However, the musical treats didn’t stop there.

Yesterday (February 18), during his performance at Madison Square Garden alongside Fred Again.., And Four Tet, Skrillex debuted a second album. The 12-track project, Don’t Get Too Close, may have been a surprise release, but it was a running theory for die-hard fans. Considering that the single by the same name featuring Bibi Bourelly was not listed on the official track list for Quest For Fire, fans suspected Skrillex had something special up his sleeve, and they were right.

The album features a list of special guest features, including Justin Bieber, Kid Cudi, Chief Keef, Swae Lee, Yung Lean, Bladee, PinkPantheress, and more. Skrillex spoke about rediscovering himself since his hiatus, writing on Twitter, “For the first time in 4-5 years, I’ve found a new sense of peace,” and having worked through it on the other end was a fountain of new music.

Don’t Get Too Close is out now via OWSLA/Atlantic. You can stream it here.

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

SALT LAKE CITY – The balance of power in the WNBA is consolidating, but that doesn’t bother A’ja Wilson. The reigning MVP (her second overall) and defending WNBA champion will take on any challengers and is prepared for what comes next, even if that means developing a rivalry with another team in the league. She’s singularly focused on repeating, and those odds became a lot more likely now that Candace Parker is in the fold in Las Vegas. The Aces also added Ayesha Clark in what turned out to be a seismic shift in free agency, with major names moving around the league.

There’s plenty of time to speculate, though. For now, Wilson is enjoying the offseason. The 26-year-old forward was present for all the NBA All-Star festivities, and even got her own Ruffles chip flavor to boot — smoky bbq twists — while helping to create a flavor for Charles Barkley, appropriately named “hot dog.”

Dime had the chance to catch up with Wilson on All-Star Saturday to chat all things Aces, the importance of being open and vulnerable to show young fans it’s okay to not be okay, the grounding nature of candles, Steely Dan, and more.

Martin Rickman: I know it’s been an exciting and busy offseason, but just in general, have you even had time to take stock of how it’s all shaken out?

A’ja Wilson: Yeah. I mean, I always love free agency because I feel like I don’t know who’s on which team until the season comes, and they’re in uniform. But no, I think the beauty of it is that we’re growing. We’re growing every single day and we’re heading in the direction that we want to head in, which is upward. And we’re in control of our own destiny as a franchise of the Vegas Aces and also as the league. And it’s been super fun to be a part of. And I’m so glad that I finally have one [title] underneath my belt, because it’s always going to be in your legacy, in your career, your first one is always going to be your baby. So I’m super excited just where the W’s going, but also where I am today.

When you talk about legacy, is that something that you’ve been able to pay any attention to? It’s hard when you’re in the moment, because you want to be present, but it’s also hard not to notice that when you start collecting trophies and you get a statue and you’re like, “Wow, I’ve come a long way.”

I would have my doubts … maybe not doubts, but I would have just kind of hiccups or whatever. But I think last year really kind of just solidified just who I want to be in the league, really established myself. I always felt like I was trying to establish myself in the league. And I think coming off of last year I was pretty established so I can kind of pat myself in the back there and say, “Hey, this is legendary no matter what. They can’t take it away from you, so you just got to continue to just work hard and be you.”

When you add a player like Candace, what can you learn from her personally, not just on the court, but from her ability to juggle as many things as she’s done? And you’re creating that lasting off-court legacy too as you continue to build your profile?

That’s so key, just firing on all cylinders. When it comes to Candace, I think my biggest thing is picking her brain from the basketball standpoint. Her basketball IQ is just out of this world, and I’m so glad that I don’t have the guard her anymore. I can do it in practice, I can get through that. But no, in game, she picks the game apart and I love that. And so just to be alongside her and to learn the way that she’s guided throughout this league, how it’s changed, and what does she want to see change? I think we could really dominate the WNBA as a whole, and not just necessarily on paper or on the court, but just as a whole of what we want the W to look like.

Do you want more competition with super teams you’ve got with the Liberty? Is that a challenge that you readily embrace? I mean, it’s good for the league as a whole. It’s good for fans, but it does make it harder to win.

I’m going to try to beat everybody, whether it’s the super team or not so super team. My goal is I’m going to try to beat everyone alongside of my teammates, but it’s super exciting just to have that, because I think every sport needs a good rival rivalry. And I think the W was kind of missing it. It was kind of like, “Oh, kumbaya. Okay.” And it’s like now I think we’re getting it. And when people see a rivalry and you see two teams don’t mess with each other, you’re going to tune in. I mean, when the Lakers and Boston play, no matter what records they have, you’re going to watch.

Yeah, there’s history.

You know it’s history. So to now start developing that in the W I think is a huge deal for us.

What does it mean for you personally to be a part of NBA All-Star weekend? And what do you want to take away to start to build into W All-Star, too, to kind of grab some of that extra shine?

I’ve been super blessed to be able to come to pretty much every All-Star since I’ve been in the league and just have fun. I mean, have activations, like Ruffles here, creating just different fan content. And I think that’s so key. And that’s something that we always want to bring to the W is getting that fan support. I mean, there are kids out here going crazy, in Jazz jerseys, but they see Jayson Tatum and they’re like, “Oh my God.” So that right there, these activations that we are in, I’m blessed to be a part of. And that’s where we’re now starting to turn over to the W, having those times where you can sit down with a fan and be partnered with Ruffles, that’s like, yeah, “we’re going to turn your hot dog idea into a national chip.” It’s mind-blowing, but it’s what it’s all about. And I’m just blessed to be in this situation.

How did the flavor come about for you, and if you were going to try to pick someone else to get one, whether it’s W or NBA player, who would you then be the next person to get one?

Well, my flavor came about, I just tasted the smokey barbecue twist, and it just kind of reminded me of home, just something like barbecue down south in the Carolinas. And my hot dog flavor just came from, I just thought of Charles Barkley and the first food item that came to mind was a hot dog. [Laughs] But the next person to get one, I don’t even know. I can’t name one athlete. I feel like everyone’s pretty cool, but I’m blessed to have my flavor in the spot.

I know you’re a big candle person. I’m starting to get into them now. I’m noticing that it’s really been clarifying for me. I’m starting to think about bringing travel ones on the road with me so that I can actually center myself a little bit more. What does that mean to you, building that brand, but also candles in general? And what are some of the other things that you’re doing self-care wise right now that have helped you kind of stay grounded?

Candles are so big. I have my own candle company, Burnt Wax Candle, and I partner with my mom. I never knew going into business with your mother would be so hard, but it is. But I love her. But no, my love of candles has been incredible. Like you said, it’s just the aromatherapy of it all, just peaceful. And I just love the scents, I love diving into what smells good with anything. And I think when it comes to self-care, I really just focus on me. I’m big on my nails. I love getting my nails done always. And it’s kind of therapeutic to me in a sense. So that’s something that I’ve gained. But yeah, I’m really, I love candles, I’m a huge candle fan.

What are you rocking with scent wise right now that you really like?

Scent-wise right now, I love a good vanilla. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve just been stuck with vanilla and I’ve just really been loving it.

You’ve been very forward facing about your struggles, whether it be with dyslexia or about growing up as a woman of color in Colombia and everything like that. How important is it for young girls, but just anybody, whether it’s people of color, just anybody going through struggles, dyslexia, depression, anxiety, and have an athlete like at the top of their game, sharing that? And does that platform mean more to you as you kind of continue to grow in your confidence and in your own power?

For sure. I think I’ve developed an understanding of how big my platform really is. And I’ve just always became a firm believer in, “if you can see her, you can be her.” Representation really matters. And I’m so keyed in on that because every young girl should have an opportunity to be successful in whatever field she wants to do. And yes, there may be bumps in the road, but I think if they see someone like me or someone Candace or ‘Bron, it’s like, “I have bad days.” I think it then registers with them like, “Okay, I’m not crazy.”

I can have a bad day.

With social media and everything in life, you feel like you have to live someone else’s life when it’s not always like that. So for me, I’ve always just been big on, “if you can see me, you could be me.” You could be better than me. And I think that hopefully, over time, we can plant seeds and make this world a better place.

I know your dad named you after a Steely Dan album, it’s one of my favorite albums of all time, I’ve got it on vinyl.

Oh, dude.

Have you gotten into them at all?

The only song I listen to of theirs is “Aja.” It’s always in my phone. It’s always like the first on my Apple music, because it’s Aja, but it was my dad’s warmup song, every time he played in Europe. And he said if I ever had a daughter, I would name her Aj’a. So they’ve actually had a residency in Vegas [before], so hopefully I can get a chance to kind of go and see them eventually and see what’s going on over there.

When Kevin Love was bought out by the Cavaliers last week, ending an 8.5 year tenure in Cleveland, the expectation was that he was headed south to Miami, and on Sunday, that move was confirmed by Adrian Wojnarowski.

Love had completely fallen out of the rotation in Cleveland, averaging 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game on 38.9 percent shooting (35.4 percent from three) in the 41 games prior to being removed from the lineup. The 34-year-old power forward is far from the double-double machine he once was, but he will join a Heat team that desperately needs someone capable of playing some minutes at the four, particularly someone who can space the floor.

While defense is an issue, and one of the chief contributors to him exiting the rotation in Cleveland, Miami has plenty of strong defenders but is lacking in the scoring department. They’ll hope Love can give them a bit more shooting from the perimeter and contribute something in the 20 minutes a night range he was playing in Cleveland earlier in the year. As is always the case with the buyout market, this is not a ground-shaking move but a complementary one that the Heat hope can be a bit of a floor raiser as they enter the stretch run of the season 7th in the East at 32-27, but just a half-game behind the Knicks in sixth.

Right now Aubrey Plaza may be Delaware’s most famous native. She’s not as famous as Joe Biden, but he’s no native: He was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania before the family relocated, in his childhood, to the Blue Hen State. Delaware’s not very large, and in a new New Yorker profile (in a bit teased out by Entertainment Weekly), the Parks and Rec and White Lotus alum says their paths have crossed “many times.” The first time, however, didn’t go so well.

Plaza said she first met the future 46th president when she was 16, in high school at what she called the “Joe Biden youth-leadership conference.” Plaza says as a high schooler she was “very Tracy-Flick-in-Election-style aggressive,” and she wound up being the lone student chosen to represent her school at “an entire day’s worth of Joe Biden-themed events.” (Note: This was probably in 2000 or 2001, when Biden was but a senator.)

There, Plaza found herself and other ambitious students “shuttled” from room to room, building up to the big show: an auditorium address from Biden himself. Plaza didn’t seem to enjoy the whole affair:

I was really angry about the conference—and, in fact, I had a stare-down with Joe Biden from the audience, because he asked how it went, and I raised my hand immediately, and I was, like, “It’s bulls*it. This conference sucks. You didn’t let us talk. This was supposed to be about the students.” I was always trying to rabble-rouse at that point. And he did not like it. I remember his face got really red. He used to get really fiery when he would make speeches. It was crazy.

Mind you, Plaza admits in the piece that she has a “terrible memory,” and that this anecdote “could all be a lie, actually,” either in part or whole. Still, it’s not far-fetched to imagine the future April Ludgate enraging one of the nicest people in federal government. As they say, print the legend!

The happy ending to this story is that they two got on better in future meet-ups, including when he appeared on an episode of Parks and Recreation. He even briefly crashed her recent SNL hosting stint, albeit virtually. So all’s good with the most famous Delawarians.

(Via The New Yorker and EW)