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Hip-hop is a culture, but thanks to decades of promotion, it has become a viable career path for many. Rapper Westside Gunn can attest to this. From the release of his music to producing for other acts and even entry into acting, the co-founder of the independent record label Griselda Records has seen his share of success. According to the producer, he is ready to hang it all up.

In a series of tweets, the musician shared, “2023 [will] definitely be my last year doing this sh*t.” His reasoning was, “I don’t have nothing else to prove.”

As a proud Buffalo, New York native, he wrote, “I put my team on. I put my city on. I worked with everybody I ever wanted to work with. Plus, m*therf*ckers still don’t even understand 1-10, FLYGOD, Awesome GOD, or Pray for Paris.”

As fans of the genre know, not many rappers genuinely retire from the music industry. But Gunn assures he is serious about his upcoming plans, writing, “I know I say I’m a retire all the time, so people might be like ‘he always says this.’ Seriously, I’ve been through so much with this sh*t behind closed doors that y’all would never know. It’s brought more pain than joy. I’m just so G that I make it look super easy, but I fight these devils every day.” One of those battles included health complications. The other is lack of support.

After listing out his rather extensive professional resume, Gunn stands on his claims of being the greatest rapper of all time, writing, “I only brought y’all the best art. I elevated the Hip-hop culture. I bridged the gap. I showed people how you could make money. I showed people to never change and do it your way. I’ve literally showed you all […] at an elite level, no compromising!”

Gunn closed out the series of tweets by thanking musicians who have supported him, including Roc Marci, Action Bronson, Alchemist, Skyzoo, Danny Brown, and more.

To say that the brewing world in the US has absolutely exploded in the past twenty-plus years is a ridiculous understatement. Back in 2000, less than 1,500 breweries operated in the country. Today, we have over 9,000. And while there are breweries scattered everywhere from Bangor to Bakersfield, there are also cities where the number of breweries is particularly dense and overall quality is exceptionally high.

We think 2023 is a great time to travel to see them.

Road trips are great — made even better when the long journey ends with a ton of amazing, high-quality beer. Stouts, IPAs, lagers, sour ales, we love them all. But we don’t think just randomly hopping in your car and driving to a random destination in search of beer is the best course of action. Instead, we asked a few of our favorite brewers, craft beer experts, and beer professionals to tell us the absolute best beer cities to visit in 2023. Keep scrolling to see all of their malts and hops-centric can’t-miss destinations.

Tampa Bay

Tyler Adams, the Florida and Georgia territory manager at Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, North Carolina

That is a hard question because I get to go and see so many great beer cities. Atlanta, Athens, Birmingham, and even Orlando with their great growth over the past couple of years are all fantastic cities in their own right. Although, if I was to plant my flag in a city that I currently think is the best beer city I would have to say Tampa, Florida, and its surrounding areas. I have fantastic beer all across the Southeast but the reason I think Tampa is the best beer city is the spirit collaboration that is ingrained in the beer culture there. Every time I travel to that area, I get to meet with brewers that are constantly collaborating with other brewers in the city, the state, and even from all over the country. It is amazing to see so many people come and share knowledge with each other and make some awesome unique beers. There is no other prime example of this when Tampa Beer Week happens, and you see brewers from all over the nation come and participate in local brew fests and planning collabs for the upcoming year.

So, in short, the reason why I give this city my stamp for best beer city is that I get to see all my favorite brewers come and create awesome innovative brews together. It really captures why craft beer came to be in the first place.

Other Breweries Include:

Green Bench Brewing, Cigar City Brewing, Magnanimous Brewing, and Angry Chair Brewing.

San Diego

Peter Zien, owner of Alesmith Brewing Co. in San Diego

Trying not to show bias, I feel that San Diego is the best beer city for a variety of reasons: First, it is home to over 150 breweries and brewpubs including Internationally known and respected award-winners such as AleSmith, Ballast Point, Lost Abby, Pizza Port, and Stone. San Diego Beer Week is a 10-day celebration of brewing that draws visitors from far and near and out-grosses the world-famous Comic-Con annually according to the San Diego Department of Tourism. The final reason is a single word: comradery.

The San Diego brewing scene is well known for its unusual sense of comradery among its’ brewers and breweries — a rare and wonderful thing.

Other Breweries Include:

Burgeon Beer Co, Fall Brewing, Coronado Brewing, and Pure Project.

Los Angeles

Dave Ziolkowski, head brewer at Arts District Brewing Company in Los Angeles

It’s hard for me to not say the greater Los Angeles area, mainly due to my inability to get out much. But look at the pedigree of brewers that we have here who just keep populating our county with more and more mitosis of talented people launching into projects and sailing high right off the bat. There is a fantastic balance and lightness, brightness, and airiness valued here that I feel can be described as our own drinking terroir versus the more resin and IBU-forward nature of San Diego or the earthy/doughy aspects of Denver’s scene. A very quick namedrop of some of my personal favorites: Ogopogo, Arrow Lodge, Claremont Craft, Common Space, El Segundo, Beachwood, Highland Park, HopSaint, Mumford, and Party Beer Co.

Other Breweries Include:

All Seasons Brewing, Monkish Brewing, Golden Road Brewing, and Boomtown Brewery.

Asheville, North Carolina

Zach Fowle, advanced Cicerone and head of marketing at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, Arizona

I once spent a day walking my way around Asheville, North Carolina. Here’s a list of breweries I was able to hit on foot. Asheville Brewing Co. is an area stalwart and home to the World Beer Cup gold-winning Ninja Porter. New Belgium Brewing Co. constructed a beautiful production facility overlooking the French Broad River (great for people-watching when tubers float by during summer) and offers tours every half hour. Burial Beer Co. is in my top ten breweries in the country, and it has two locations in the city (one of which is the must-visit forestry camp, a repurposed facility built among the trees of Asheville for the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933). Bhramari Brewing Co. is a spot with unique, ingredient-driven beers, upscale food, and a funky aesthetic. And there are many, many more to which my tired feet weren’t able to take me.

Asheville has more breweries per capita than nearly every city in the country, and nearly every one of them is outstanding. No other beer city can compare to its combination of walkability and caliber.

Other Breweries Include:

Wicked Weed Brewing, Ben’s Tune-Up, Hi-Wire Brewing, and One World Brewing.

Denver

Wes Burbank, head brewer at Flix Brewhouse in San Antonio

I haven’t traveled much in the past few years, but my favorite beer city is absolutely Denver. There are world-class examples of just about every imaginable type of beer being made at breweries throughout the city. I have particularly enjoyed Comrade, Crooked Stave, Cohesion, Bierstadt, and Little Machine.

My favorite brewpub is Live Slow, which also has a bowling alley— how cool is that?

Other Breweries Include:

Great Divide Brewing, Call to Arms Brewing, Wynkoop brewing, and TRVE Brewing.

Portland, Oregon

Kaylen Gibbens, assistant brewmaster at Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Oregon

I’m definitely biased, but I think Portland is the best beer city. We have loads of talented brewers making solid beer. A couple of breweries I really like that I don’t work at are Steeplejack and Breakside because they both have great beer as well as great food. Currently, there are more than seventy breweries in and around Portland. There’s definitely something for every beer drinker. It’s a city where you’ll never run out of new and exciting breweries to try.

Other Breweries Include:

Wayfinder Beer, Occidental Brewing, Cascade Brewing, and Culmination Brewing.

Fort Collins, Colorado

Ryan Joy, lead brewer at Green Flash Brewery in San Diego

It’s a toss-up between San Diego and Fort Collins, Colorado. But I’m going to go with my original hometown, Fort Collins. You can throw a rock in just about any direction and hit a brewery. There are concentrated pockets throughout town making it very easy to visit multiple breweries in a short amount of time.

With nearly thirty to choose from, there is something for everyone but my must-stop breweries are Funkwerks and Zwei Brewing. Funkwerks makes some of the best Belgian-inspired beers in the country. Their saison is the standard bearer for the style but my go-to is the strong saison known as Tropic King. Zwei Brewing on the south side of town might be the most underrated brewery in Colorado, but the people who know, know because this place is busy seven days a week. Order from the left side of the menu for perfectly crafted German-style lager and Weissbier (their specialties) or look to the right side of the menu for great examples of IPA, fruited sour, and the occasional offering in the Belgian style.

Other Breweries Include:

Odell Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Snowbank Brewing, Equinox Brewing, and Intersect Brewing.

Milwaukee

Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin

Every day of my life I teeter-totter between thinking Denver is the best beer city and Milwaukee, (basically my backyard) is the best beer city. In my eyes, Denver wins because of the walkability to so many breweries near each other. Then Milwaukee wins because of the sheer volume of innovation that happens–you have some creating AI-inspired beers, others relaunching pre-prohibition beers, some contract brewing wild brews that get sent out across the nation. The list goes on. In Denver, check out Woods Boss. In Milwaukee, check out Amorphic. If I had to pick one, it would be Milwaukee because of its mix of historical and contemporary brewing.

Other Breweries Include:

Eagle Park Brewing, Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee Brewing Co, and MobCraft Beer.

Portland, Maine

Kyle Warren, lead brewer at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company in Framingham, Massachusetts

I have been traveling to Portland, Maine in search of great beer for years and have never been disappointed. Portland has a wide variety of breweries to explore that specialize in everything from old-world Belgian-inspired beers to everything one could want from new-school hype. Taprooms like Oxbow’s Blending and Bottling are plentiful. Complete with seasonal outdoor spaces, food trucks, if not full-on food programs, and they all tend to be fully booked with various events showcasing the music, art, and culture of Portland and beyond. If taprooms aren’t your thing, spots like Novare Res have curated draft lists that rival most craft beer bars throughout the world. What’s most impressive is that the service industry as a whole in Portland celebrates its local offerings. I have yet to walk into a bar or restaurant that isn’t serving up several offerings of tasty brews from a brewery in their city. My advice, bundle up and head there in the winter. The hotels are cheap, the restaurants slow down a bit, you’re far less likely to run into any bachelor or bachelorette parties and the beer is still very, very abundant.

Other Breweries Include:

Allagash Brewing, Bissell Brothers Brewing, Lone Pine Brewing, and The Shipyard Brewing Company.

Without Barbara Walters blazing the trail for women anchors, there would be no Megyn Kelly, and the ex-Fox News host made sure to mention that fact while recognizing the passing of Walters, who died at age 93 ahead of the New Year’s weekend. However, things took a surprisingly less reverent turn when Kelly started criticizing Walters’ parenting shortly after praising the late newswoman’s groundbreaking work.

“There is no question that this woman was a trailblazer in news and accomplished feats that would never really be matched and could never be matched,” Kelly said. “She made it in a time when women weren’t being taken seriously and when it was very hard to be considered as a serious news person, right? And all of us who have come in her wake owe her a debt of gratitude on that front.”

With that flowery introduction out of the way, Kelly started tearing into Walters being an absent mother to her adopted daughter. Via Mediaite:

“What I saw was an incredible person professionally. And I would never take one moment of that away from her. But a woman who completely fell down on the job when it came to her mothering.”

“It was jarring to me, her admissions about her own mothering and also what her book said without her seeming to realize it about her lane there as a mom. She talked about how she adopted a little girl named — she named her Jackie after Barbara’s sister. And the daughter never saw her mother,” Kelly added.

Kelly then took things even further by citing how Mike and Chris Wallace patched things up after the iconic 60 Minutes anchor confessed to being a “sh*tty father.” No such resolution happened with Walters, according to Kelly.

“My impression in reading the book was she was clueless about just how much damage she was inflicting on the child,” she said.

What a touching… tribute?

(Via Mediaite)

The Piano Recital is set to make a return to Carnegie Hall in New York City this year, after a five-year hiatus. The Piano Recital puts some of the best acts in music at the venue’s solo piano on the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage.

Taking the stage this year are Michelle Zauner, better known as Japanese Breakfast, as well as Kevin Morby, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, Phil Cook, and Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats and Bonny Light Horseman.

“Playing a unique gig like The Piano Recital is always a true joy,” said Johnson in a statement. “I played the first incarnation of it some years back and it was a blast – a great memory that lives on. To be able to return to it, this time at a legendary spot like Carnegie Hall, is like a dream come true.”

The upcoming show is one of what may be several exciting projects Zauner has in the books for 2023. Back in 2021, Zauner released her memoir, Crying In H-Mart. In October 2022, she revealed the book is in the process of being adapted for a film during an interview with Elle.

“I’m working on final revisions of the script for the studio,” she said, noting that before the interview, “I was actually writing a teenage argument between me and my mom. Hopefully, we’ll be attaching a director soon.”

The Piano Recital will take place on February 25 at 8 pm. Tickets are available for purchase here.

You can check out the full lineup below.

A new year brings new questions about the flood of new and returning TV shows and wannabe blockbuster films. Is there still magic in Indiana Jones’ fedora? Can Yellowjackets top itself? What’s the next beloved show headed for the exit? Will people flock to Barbie? And what, exactly, is going on with DC? Thoughts and theories on all of the above can be found here with Uproxx writers Jessica Toomer and Jason Tabrys debating the finer points of these big questions as we kickstart our month-long 2023 entertainment preview.

What’s The Deal With DC?

Jason Tabrys: So we know a few things: Black Adam is not in James Gunn’s plans. Henry Cavill is also not in James Gunn’s plans. We’ve got Shazam, Blue Beetle, Aquaman 2, and Flash coming this year (I guess). But it’s hard to know what matters in the overall architecture of what’s next for DC since we don’t know the plan yet; we don’t even know how the plan’s going to be introduced. Blue Beetle is a film James Gunn has promoted. So maybe that one has an inside track to being a part of whatever’s next, especially if Booster Gold is a part of it — which feels like a very James Gunn character. And then there’s the Flash, and everything with Ezra Miller. How do you determine what matters and what doesn’t with the DC universe at this point?

Jessica Toomer: I think it’s safe to just assume nothing matters. I would hope that fans who like these movies will enjoy what will probably be the last run of a lot of them. I mean, I think DC is unloading Flash just because it doesn’t want to lose money. I think they’ll wash their hands of it. I think Shazam might have a place because it is a kind of weird character that does connect some different universes. But I don’t think James Gunn is going to be able to do his quirky, off-beat bit with every new superhero and movie DC is trying to introduce in this next phase. I think he’s going to be limited in that a little bit because they are trying to build basically what Marvel has

Tabrys: That might not be a glitch. That might be a feature for him to keep expanding the idea of what he’s able to do. Which is something he’s done before. Guardians Of The Galaxy has a lot more heart and sentiment than Slither. I guess the bigger question that I have is, can these films change the course of whatever’s coming next? If people are like ‘Hot, damn, we’ve got to throw some Avatar money at Shazam,’ is that going to change things?

Toomer: Based on the rumors and what’s been confirmed, I don’t think anything’s going to change the plan that they’re brewing at this point.

Will The Reboot Boom Take Off In 2023?

Tabrys: We’ve got a lot of franchises that are eager to jump back to the forefront this year. There’s a new Transformers movie coming, there’s a new Hunger Games prequel coming from Francis Lawrence, the Wonka film with Timothée Chalamet is en route, Indiana Jones 5 is also dropping. Are these films going to be able to have the same popularity that preceeding iterations have had?

Toomer: No. I’m being very negative right now, but no, I don’t think so. I think Indiana Jones might have a good chance only because that franchise is so beloved. Harrison Ford is a bona fide movie star and then they’re adding Phoebe Waller-Bridge, so it does seem exciting where they’re taking it. I don’t think people have cared about Transformers in a hot minute. I think that’s the same issue with this Hunger Games prequel, plus they’re making the weird choice to focus on the origin story of the villain of that original trilogy. At the moment, nothing has built the kind of excitement it needs to cut through the noise, save Indiana Jones. But hey, there’s still time.

Tabrys: I’ll admit, I am very curious about Indiana Jones. I’m a huge fan, but I don’t know that the movie is going to be a gargantuan hit. It’s going to need Top Gun: Maverick buzz, where people are blown away by how broadly appealing the story is, and by how much of a crowd-pleaser it is. They can’t just lean on nostalgia here. They actually have to break the mold and tell a story.

The last time they made a truly great, celebrated Indiana Jones film was in 1989. So I have a little anger toward the Indiana Jones franchise. I feel like in a lot of ways they’ve let it just sort of rot on the vine for 30 years. So I’m curious if this film is actually going to captivate large swaths of people. I don’t think you can just market a film that’s going to appeal to 40-year-old and 50-year-old guys anymore. I don’t know that this isn’t going to just rest on that built-in audience. Top Gun was fighter jets and shit blowing up versus, what, an old dude with a hat and a whip? I feel like I’m going to burst into fan hell flames here saying all this, but I don’t feel like it has the same visual pop. I’m hopeful that I’ll be proven wrong.

Toomer: As am I, but then, I am always hoping you’ll be proven wrong.

Should We Get Ready To Say Goodbye?

Toomer: I think I would like for us collectively to be a bit more critical about when the right time to end a show is. I think the Ted Lasso team has said they had a number in mind and I hope that they stick to that number. I’m for shows going out on top. I appreciate that. I want them to stick the landing and not just kind of leave us on a cliff or linger until we lose interest. I think with something like Barry , I know you’ve said to me you don’t know where else they can go.

Tabrys: With Barry, it’s not that they’ve run out of things. I just can’t conceive of where they’ll go from here, but I said that before last season and they delivered a magnificent season. Maybe their best while spreading the ball around to the entire cast in really inspiring ways. But I naturally wonder, with the way it ended (and I’m trying to be gentle and not spoil), if the end game is near. But I fully expect Bill Hader to make me look like a schmuck by dropping another 5 seasons of brilliance on us and/or by completely reconstructing what the show is a la Atlanta.

As far as the overall thing of less is more, I’m really mixed on the idea. People get joy from these shows. People get jobs from these shows. If there’s a reason to keep running them and people are still getting joy, then, screw it. If it’s the same core folks behind the scenes and in front of the camera and people are still loving it, I hope these shows run for as long as everybody still gets joy and a paycheck out of it.

Toomer: I guess we’re just different. I’m a story purist, Jason, and you are trash for ratings.

Tabrys: No, I am a bringer and celebrator of joy. You keep your art. I’ll keep my happiness.

Is Barbie Going To Be A Hit?

Toomer: I’m worried because I think Barbie is going to be a bit smarter than people think. Some people got the references in its first full-length trailer and some people didn’t. That’s why I worry about Barbie. I think it might be too smart for us. I think Greta Gerwig has more than proven she can make this kind of material work. She’s a pro at writing for women and her last two films have performed well at the box office, but both Little Women and Lady Bird were holiday releases. She hasn’t had a Summer blockbuster drop yet and that’s just a whole different beast. Barbie is going to be competing with the kind of wild action epics and superhero stories that want to be the next Top Gun so… I’m not saying ‘dumb things down’ but I think marketing this thing is going to be key. It’ll deliver either way but it’s got to be more than just, what did you call it Jason when we were planning this, ‘internet famous?’

Tabrys: Yeah, films like Barbie and Cocaine Bear are going to get so much attention on social and on film twitter that I worry that they’re going to be taken for granted or pigeonholed by the conversation (Barbie is camp! Cocaine Bear is chaos!). I’m worried marketing departments are going to see the buzz and assume these things are in the bag but these are films that, like you said, are going to maybe have a tougher time hooking people (no capes, no cowls!) to actually put money on the counter, which is a bigger ask than asking them to ReTweet or pass around a candy-colored meme of Ryan Gosling in a denim vest.

Will Yellowjackets Live Up To The Hype?

Tabrys: There are so many questions about Yellowjackets. This show came out of nowhere. Is it possible to live up to the hype and actually pull this off again?

Toomer: How dare you?!

Tabrys: I want it to! But is it possible?

Toomer: Of course it is. You know how I feel about this show. Do you want to end our friendship right here?

Tabrys: Fine, fine. And yes, I know you ride or die for this show. You were telling me it was going to be a hit well before it debuted.

Toomer: Girls’ soccer team, cannibals, survival drama. What’s not to love about that?

Tabrys: It’s become this pop culture phenomenon. Let me alter my approach. It’s not can they do it again, but how do they do it again?

Toomer: When I interviewed Juliette Lewis, it seemed like they had a clear idea of how many seasons they wanted and where they were going. I feel like they’ve plotted the story out enough that it’s not going to be impacted too much by people’s expectations. I guess I could always be wrong … but I never am and I don’t think that Yellowjackets is going to disappoint in season two. It’s got a lot of questions to answer. I think it will answer some questions and then pose even more. I’m just really proud of the nineties alt-girl casting and I’m excited to see the gang back together. Now, if you really want to ask a question, let’s talk about whether they’re going to eat that baby this season.

Tabrys: Let’s not. I am very much a believer that Yellowjackets will deliver. I think you hit on something very important though, and that is the problem of trying to exist in a vacuum when shows hit. It’s the biggest question about Yellowjackets. Can they avoid falling into that trap of listening to people on the outside? They nailed the formula in season one. They should stick with what worked and ignore any other outside advice about what did or didn’t work.

Toomer: I think you’re right. And that’s where sometimes a show like Lost fell off for me. At a certain point, there’s a conscious effort to create mysteries that fans couldn’t solve or that have twists that blow people’s minds. Some of the fun of shows like this is that fans get together on the internet and try to solve them and if they solve plot points, that should be okay. You don’t have to always be a hundred steps ahead of the audience. My only worry with Yellowjackets is that the need to keep audiences guessing, to be so much smarter than the audience, will eventually start to dictate its storytelling.

Vladimir Putin knows that his Ukraine war isn’t going so well for Russia. In a sense, he has been in distraction mode by handing out fancy rings to heads of the former Soviet Republics, but that doesn’t change how Russians can’t even scrounge up some paper as their nation descends further into chaos where brands (including McDonald’s) have pulled out like crazy.

The actual war itself continues to be a morbid disaster in Ukraine. Russian troops are reportedly drunkenly shooting each other amid an absurdly huge loss of life, which Putin initially greeted by drafting hundreds of thousands more Russians even though he has admitted failing hard at even providing basic war supplies including ammo and medical treatments. Still, the propaganda train is attempting to go strong, and one of Putin’s biggest State TV cheerleaders is now suggesting that Russians change their view on death. For real, presenter Vladimir Solovyov (clearly a big Kremlin supporter) wants everyone to lay it all on the line. From The Daily Beast:

“Life is highly overrated,” the propagandist said in his program on state-run TV on Monday. “Why be afraid of what is inevitable? Moreover, we’ll go to heaven. Death is the end of one earthly path and the beginning of another.”

He went on to question why people would let their fear of death “influence their decisions … It’s only worth living for something you can die for, that’s the way it should be.”.

That’s grim stuff. It does, tellingly, run counter to one of Putin’s recent public statements, which is that he’s not looking to draft more Russians anytime soon, so who knows if there’s a good-top/bad-cop type of intention, since we’re talking about State TV here. The Wall Street Journal does report that Putin’s New Year’s Eve address communicated that he’s still in it to win it, even as his Ukraine invasion approaches the one-year mark.

(Via The Daily Beast)

News of Gangsta Boo’s death over the weekend hit hard across rap, but it especially hit hard here at UPROXX. The Memphis rap godmother had put in an appearance at UPROXX Studios just weeks before to shoot content, resulting in a rowdy performance of her 2020 single “I’m Fresh” for UPROXX Sessions and few lessons in Memphis lingo in which she broke down some of her favorite Dirty South slang. The occasion for her recent flurry of activity might have been her new collaboration with breakout Atlanta star Latto and Memphis upstart GloRilla, “FTCU,” but the honor was all ours, because Gangsta Boo very much defined rap royalty in her life, even if she wasn’t quite as well known by mainstream standards.

Born Lola Chantrelle Mitchell in Memphis in 1979, Gangsta Boo got her start in the rap business as a member of the pioneering group Three 6 Mafia alongside Juicy J, DJ Paul, and Lord Infamous. The group’s 1995 cult classic Mystic Stylez helped to create the template for modern trap music; Lord Infamous is often credited with pioneering the “triplet flow” popularized more recently by Atlanta rap trio Migos, while the group’s thumping 808 drums and eerie sampling style can be heard in Southern rap bangers from Atlanta to their hometown, Memphis — and everywhere in between.

While Boo left the group after the release of its 2001 album Choices: The Album to pursue a solo career, she remained associated with them and released her first two albums, Enquiring Minds and Both Worlds *69, on the group’s label Hypnotize Minds before striking out on her own. In 2014, she teamed up with fellow pioneering Memphis female rapper La Chat to drop the Witch EP, a blueprint for the era of solidarity that followed a few years later and coincided with the current wave of dominance by female rappers in hip-hop.

And although her output slowed in the years since, any number of true hip-hop heads could see her influence and impact growing in the rising importance of Southern rappers like Latto and GloRilla, even before their collaboration. However, the moment of her greatest resurgence came in 2020, when she was featured on Run The Jewels’ RTJ4 track “Walking In The Snow.” Her scene-stealing verse served as a reminder to rap fans just how influential she had always been, increasing interest in new music from her — which she was more than happy to oblige with a string of singles including “I’m Fresh” in 2020, and a flurry of activity in 2022 including “Sucka Free,” “4Eva Crunk,” and “FTCU.”

The overwhelming sense among rap fans was that Gangsta Boo was due for a re-emergence. Thanks to her passing the torch to Glo on “FTCU,” her status as a rap elder stateswoman had been certified, and all eyes were on her. What moves would she make next? Unfortunately, it now seems we’ll never know, although her commitment to the craft remains unquestioned. Although she’s far from being one of rap’s biggest “What Ifs” thanks to her iconic status as a member of Three 6 Mafia, her story also feels incomplete. It seemed like she was on the cusp of finally receiving her due as one of rap’s most fearless, boundary-breaking figures — especially among the oft-overlooked godmothers of the genre.

Perhaps now she will be recognized for her contributions to the culture, albeit belatedly. If there’s a takeaway from this loss, it should be this; we have a lot of legends who aren’t getting their flowers while they can still smell them. It’s time to change that, because as the loss of Gangsta Boo shows, time is the one thing we aren’t guaranteed very much of.

When it was first announced that Greta Gerwig would be moving forward with a feature film based on the beloved (and sometimes very dated) Barbie doll, many fans were wondering what exactly to expect, and how she could possibly top all of those classic animated features that have since gone down in history.

But after the first teaser was revealed, it became apparent that this isn’t just any old regular Barbie movie with veiled 2001: A Space Odyssey references–there are also dance sequences! And on top of those dance sequences, there are many different types of people involved in this movie beyond the titular doll. The cast also includes America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, Hari Nef, and others, proving that this movie will be a multiverse of madness for those normal, non-Marvel people (they exist!).

But there are some Marvel stars in the mix, too. Simu Liu recently opened up about the casting process, as Gerwig sought to find all different types of actors, not just an 11.5-inch plastic doll with unrealistic body standards. “I remember very clearly about some of our big intricate dance sequences. Greta was very, very conscientious about who she cast. We were able to cast people of different shapes, sizes, differently abled, to all participate in this dance — all under this message of: You don’t have to be blonde, white, or X, Y, Z in order to embody what it means to be a Barbie or a Ken,” the Marvel actor explained in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. “It’s really about finding your inner beauty and owning that part of yourself and being the best possible version of you.”

Liu then praised the diversity among the set, which will hopefully be apparent on the big screen. “I will say, going on set I was never isolated. I felt like I was going to work every day with a cast that really celebrated each other and celebrated each other’s differences, no matter where we came from,” Liu explained. He will portray Ken (or at least some iteration of him) in the film, alongside Ryan Gosling. He added, “I think when you watch the movie, you’ll see that reflected on the screen.”

As for those intricate dance scenes, Liu has been more or less prepping for this moment his whole life. “One of my first conversations with Greta, I told her, ‘Well, I don’t want to brag, but I was on my university’s hip-hop dance team.’ And she literally screamed. So I feel like that ended up playing a very critical role in me getting this project,” Liu added. Now we can fully understand why noted dance legend Ryan Gosling was also cast in the movie!

Barbie hits theaters on July 21, 2023.

(Via IndieWire)

UFC President Dana White and his wife, Anne, have both issued statements following a New Year’s Eve altercation inside a Cabo San Lucas nightclub in which Anne strikes Dana in the face, and Dana retaliates with a slap of his own.

White spoke with TMZ after the altercation, acknowledging what he’s said over the years that there’s no excuse for “a guy to put his hands on a woman,” and admitted he is embarrassed by the situation.

“This is one of those situations that’s horrible, I’m embarrassed — but it’s also one of those situations that right now we’re more concerned about our kids. We have three kids and obviously, since the video popped up, we’ve shown the kids the video and we’re more focused on our family right now,” White said.

“I’m literally making no excuses for this thing at all. It’s never happened before. It’s the first time it’s ever happened. People are going to say what they’re going to say and it is what is. Whatever people say is deserved. I deserve it.”

In a separate statement provided to TMZ, Anne echoed Dana’s sentiments.

“Dana and I have been married for almost 30 years. To say this is out of character for him is an understatement — nothing like this has ever happened before,” Anne said. “Unfortunately, we were both drinking too much on New Year’s Eve and things got out of control, on both sides. We’ve talked this through as a family and apologized to each other. I just hope people will respect our privacy for the sake of our kids.”

On Tuesday morning, former ESPN personality Dan Le Batard followed the release of the video by questioning how coverage of the incident will be handled considering ESPN’s relationship with the UFC.

As of this writing, ESPN has written about the incident, but has not commented on how the incident will impact the relationship between the two organizations.

Fox Sports commentator Skip Bayless issued an on-air apology on Tuesday morning after getting roundly hammered for a seemingly insensitive tweet about Damar Hamlin, who collapsed on the field during Monday Night Football last night. The defensive back for the Buffalo Bills suffered cardiac arrest and is still listed in critical condition as of this writing. Immediately following his collapse and removal from the field by ambulance, there was speculation about whether or not the NFL would postpone the game, and that’s when Bayless stepped in it with a poorly worded tweet.

“No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game – but how?” Bayless wrote before the decision was made. “This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems so irrelevant.”

After being widely dragged, Bayless attempted to clarify his tweet later that night and put the emphasis on Hamlin’s health.

“Nothing is more important than that young man’s health,” Bayless said. “That was the point of my last tweet. I’m sorry if that was misunderstood but his health is all that matters. Again, everything else is irrelevant. I prayed for him & will continue to.”

With the controversy over his tweet in the air, Bayless issued an apology on Tuesday morning where he noticeably hosted Undisputed without co-host Shannon Sharpe, who we presume called in “sick.” At the top of the show, an emotional Bayless addressed the bad optics of attempting to discuss sports during a “life or death” situation and emphasized that he feels “wrecked” over the whole thing.

Allow me to say upfront that I apologize for what we’re going to set out to do here today if it offends anyone because we’re going to try to do the show pretty much as we usually do the show. But I’ll admit upfront I’m still shook up by what happened last night to Damar Hamlin. In fact, I’m still wrecked. In fact, I’m not sure I’m capable of doing this show today. But after barely sleeping on it, I decided to give it a try. Maybe I’ll fail. Maybe we will fail, but we’re going to try. We wrestled through much of the night whether to even do a show today because it felt like, in our minds, we almost can’t win with this. Because the last thing we want to try to do is come off as insensitive to what this young man is going through in a life or death situation. The last thing we want to do is offend anyone by trying to do what we always do, which is talk about sports.

After the intro, Bayless then encouraged viewers to share their “emotions of the night” on Twitter, which he promised to read during this “difficult morning for all of us.”

(Via Complex Sports on Twitter)