The top free agent pitcher in all of Major League Baseball is changing teams. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, former New York Mets starter Jacob deGrom will leave the only team for which he has played during his professional career and head to the American League, where he will become the ace for the Texas Rangers.

Passan noted that deGrom’s deal is a guaranteed five years and $185 million, a hefty price tag but one that is justified because of how good deGrom has been over his career. It has the potential to add an additional year, which would bring the total value of the contract to $222 million, and includes a no-trade clause for the 34-year-old righty.

The Rangers confirmed the transaction in a press release on the club’s PR Twitter account, but did not include the financials of the deal.

While deGrom has been hit with the injury bug over the years, when he has been able to pitch and is on his game, he is one of baseball’s most unhittable arms. He is a two-time Cy Young Award winner and a four-time All-Star, and over nine years with the Mets, deGrom registered an 82-57 record with a 2.52 ERA, a 0.998 WHIP, and 1,607 strikeouts in 1326.0 innings of work.

A new Drakeo The Ruler video has been released, on what would’ve been his 29th birthday (December 1), and nearly a year after his death. In the video for “Diddy Bop, ” Drakeo and his crew are seen posted up, on guard for any opps that may come their way.

“Hop out on the opp out the Coupе, I served with him a chop / Know no he was no longеr, when I seen his nerves hangin’ out /Half a Hundiddy in the chop, it’s a Minnie Mouse / Don’t wanna strip, don’t wanna dance, f*ck it, Diddy Bop,” raps Drakeo on the song’s chorus.

The song features Drakeo’s brother and longtime collaborator Ralfy The Plug, and comes from their joint project, A Cold Day In Hell.

On his verse, Ralfy warns his opposition that if they’re not careful, consequences could be dire.

Upon the video’s release, Ralfy took to Instagram to honor Drakeo, saying, “Happy birthday to the best rapper to ever touch the mic we know the truth, the truth hurt, ain’t that the truth almost been a whole year since you been gone and still got this sh*t on lock…they still don’t want to give you your flowers but the truth is undisputed.”

You can watch the video above.

Bar 32, a chocolate shop located in New Jersey’s Atlantic City, auctioned off 3,000 chocolate bars for $10 this week. Selling out by Wednesday night, they raised $30,000. And, in just one of the bars, there is a Willy Wonka style winner of two tickets to Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. Specifically, Swift’s show at Philly’s Lincoln Financial Field on May 13, 2023.

The catch is that fans won’t know if they won right away. The chocolate bars allegedly all contain a number and the company will draw the winner on Christmas Day. Purchases were only limited to… 50 bars per person. Meaning, that there are likely some Swifties out there who spent $500 on chocolate bars and still might not even get tickets.

Another caveat is the unclear idea of just where the seats would be. Floor? Sign me up. Nosebleeds? Doesn’t seem as worth it. Be careful guys, it’s brutal out here.

“We’ve always wanted to incorporate a ‘golden ticket’ within our chocolate bar and shop,” Bar 32 assistant chocolate maker Katie Callazzo said to The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We are overwhelmed by how much support we have gotten with our contest.”

The article notes that Bar 32 has no plans for a restock, but fans can stay tuned for a potential Christmas miracle in the form of a future Instagram live. And, considering resale for two seats at Swift’s show in Philly are currently listed for $810 each at the lowest on Stubhub ($2,054 with estimated fees), the math would make a profit of approximately $27,946 from the chocolate shop contest.

Just imagine, if Swifties banded together to buy tickets instead, they would actually have a stronger chance of attending with a decent view.

Today, upon the release of their new EP, Snake Eyes, 100 Gecs has announced that fans can expect even more new music from the duo next year.

Though the EP only contained three tracks to tide fans over while they wait for the upcoming album, the album, titled 10,000 Gecs is expected to contain many more. Their upcoming album will mark the LA duo‘s second album, and their first since 2019.

Last year, the duo, comprised of Laura Les and Dylan Brady, spoke with Pitchfork about the long-awaited album. In the interview, Les, who is trans, revealed that she would be taking a step back from some of the Auto-Tune effects the duo has been known to use, as she has been taking vocal lessons.

“As I’ve been exploring my voice more, I’m like, ‘I can do this,’” Les said. “And also I’m sick of worrying about it. If I don’t just fucking do it, then I’m just a scaredy cat. And I don’t want to be a scaredy cat.”

Check out the cover art for 10,000 Gecs below.

10,000 Gecs is out 03/17/2023, via Dog Show Records and Atlantic Records. You can pre-order it here.

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

Netflix has found immense success following the release of Wednesday, about the daughter of The Addams Family. One of the key scenes finds Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) attending a typical high school dance, where she busts out some spooky dance moves. Fans on TikTok have taken the scene to put their own soundtrack spin on it — with none other than Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary.”

While it might seem like a surprising choice, Gaga’s 2011 song mirrors the choreography and has a dark tone to it. Plus, it literally includes the lyric, “I’ll dance with my hands,” which Wednesday’s viral clip has become known for — making it a great choice for fans of both for edits.

And, as it turns out, both Netflix and Lady Gaga are aware of the song’s recent trend.

“I see you doing my dance moves to @LadyGaga’s Bloody Mary,” the Wednesday Addams Twitter account wrote. “I understand she is followed by little monsters. I approve.”

“Slay Wednesday!” Gaga replied. “You’re welcome at Haus of Gaga anytime (and bring Thing with you, we love paws around here).”

Following the interaction, fans spotted that Gaga also made the Wednesday dance scene as the set video for “Bloody Mary” on Spotify.

Continue scrolling for some of Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” edits set to various Wednesday scenes.

(For You)r Consideration is a weekly column breaking down the rappers and singers doing it RIGHT on TikTok and the viral trends and top songs taking over your FYP.

Waiting for Rico

After the release of July’s Las Ruinas, Rico Nasty is already teasing new music and using TikTok to prime her audience. The snippet released in early November samples Missy Elliott and Timbaland’s “Get Ur Freak On.” Previous Missy and Timbaland-inspired songs like Ski Mask The Slump God’s 2017 “Catch Me Outside,” have caught the attention of the rap OGs and garnered viral success with over 100 million views on YouTube. With growing TikTok buzz, Rico’s take on a Missy classic will hopefully see the same traction. You can catch Rico on her TikTok page, creating makeup tutorials, lip-syncing, and practicing choreography to the sound. Fans in the comments of the rapper’s TikToks are not only begging for her to drop the complete track but hoping she’ll feature either Missy Elliott or Ski Mask.

#SpotifyWrapped

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Streaming giants are releasing insights on user activity on their platforms over the past year and invite music lovers to share them on social media. Spotify Wrapped, the streaming service’s EOY campaign, is having a moment on TikTok with millions of videos using the hashtag #SpotifyWrapped. Creators are sharing their most listened-to artists, the recently-released songs they hope will appear in their insights, and their most streamed albums that came as a surprise. Check out the TikToks below to see how users celebrate and taunt their listening habits on the app.

Show Stopper

Another 2000s hit is making a comeback on TikTok. Danity Kane’s 2006 Show Stopper has users reminiscing about the mid-2000s and revisiting the group’s iconic choreography and mark on post-Y2K culture. Creator @itskatesteinberg is known on the app for her love for the 200s, so naturally, she’s at the forefront of the song’s trending moment. Kate’s videos tap into core 2000s crazes like tanning beds, excessive hairspray, Bath & Body Works scents, and the genesis of Facebook with the Danity Kane hit in the background. Check out one of Kate’s videos below and the 2000s girl group choreography by user doobie_music.

How the heck has David Byrne never penned an original Holiday song before? The Talking Heads maestro and Tony Award-winning Broadway star has effectively ended that drought now though, with the release of “Fat Man’s Comin’”

“I always wanted to write a holiday song,” the whimsical Byrne said in a statement. “I wouldn’t call it a Christmas song, as the visitation of Santa (formerly known as St. Nicholas, who mainly did punishing) seems to have evolved to be a more secular consumer moment than a religious or spiritual affair.”

As expected, the tune has an expansive arrangement and is filled with Byrne’s endearing whimsy. He explained that it was written around the time he and St. Vincent’s Annie Clark were working on the Love This Giant album. Similar horn sections are noticeable, but Byrne said it didn’t make sense for his St. Vincent collab and worked with producer/arranger Jherek Bischoff instead on it.

https://davidbyrne.bandcamp.com/album/the-fat-mans-comin

“Fat Man’s Comin’” is available now via Bandcamp through the end of the month in a “pay what you want” model. All proceeds will benefit Reasons To Be Cheerful, Byrne’s nonprofit online news mag.

Listen to “Fat Man’s Comin’” above and check out a full statement from the always eloquent Byrne about the song below.

“I always wanted to write a holiday song. I wouldn’t call it a Christmas song, as the visitation of Santa (formerly known as St. Nicholas, who mainly did punishing) seems to have evolved to be a more secular consumer moment than a religious or spiritual affair.

I believe the foundation of this music might have been written at the same time as the collaboration I did with St. Vincent a few years ago, but somehow a literal view of the Santa phenomena was what came out. It wasn’t right for Annie and me – the story of a fat man in rather odd attire who breaks into people’s homes and leaves mysterious packages.

I’d worked with Jherek before and enlisted him to arrange and record the “orchestra,” which I wanted to sound sort of old-school creepy. The old song “Teddy Bears Picnic” may have been a reference.

Back then, I thought I’d use the song as a means to raise money for a good cause, but to draw attention to this thing I thought it might need a visual, so I storyboarded a video for the song which eventually ended up getting shelved.

But maybe helping celebrate another year of Reasons To Be Cheerful might be a good reason to resurrect this song, and let the storyboards allow folks to imagine what the video might have been.

Enjoy and thanks for listening/watching”

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

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from ASAP Rocky, GloRilla, Metro Boomin, and more.

Even with the holiday shutdown just a couple of weeks away, hip-hop keeps it moving. This week, 21 Savage (and Nas), ASAP Rocky, Coi Leray, Cordae, GloRilla (along with Latto and Gangsta Boo), IDK, and Saucy Santana all dropped new tracks, while a wealth of projects will keep fans fed with stuff to stream until the new year.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending Month TK, 2022.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Babyface Ray — Mob

The Detroit native already dropped one album this year, but you know those indies; they’re never satisfied. Ray’s second drop of the year has appearances from Blxst and Lil Durk and keeps the low-key and unfiltered approach to street tales intact.

David Sabastian — We Are God

The LA fashion scene kid releases his debut album this week. It’s a mostly solo effort aside from “The Firmament,” which features Limage (and is more of an interlude than a song). Sabastian has a few years under his belt, so it’s polished enough, considering it’s a “first” effort.

Le$ — Motion

Le$, the Houston player whose raps revolve around the low-key luxury of eating nice food and driving nice cars — but in a humble way — generally churns out an absolutely unreal volume of new music, but his consistency has never wavered.

Metro Boomin — Heroes & Villains

Within hours of release, Metro’s latest had fans dunking on Drake and 21 Savage’s collab Her Loss and praising the verses, beats, and guest appearances that mark Heroes & Villains as a well-considered, excellently-produced compilation.

Singles/Videos

AZ — “Respect Mines”

The Brooklyn vet has a new album “coming soon” and sets the stage well with his Buckwild-produced single.

B. Cool Aid (Pink Siifu & Ahwlee) — “Coo”

A double release from the Los Angeles-based rapper/producer and abstract producer Ahwlee, the slickly crafted dyad shows Siifu can formulate chemistry with just about anyone after he previously collaborated with Fly Anakin on FlySiifu.

Dstrct — “O.T.”

The newest addition to Mustard’s 10 Summers roster releases his debut EP installation 001 alongside a video for his debut single “O.T.” It’s an upbeat, house party-ready track that displays some real gusto.

Finessе2tymes — “Nobody” Feat. Gucci Mane

Memphis rapper Finesse2tymes gets the co-sign of his career thanks to Gucci Mane, whose support of young, up-and-coming artists has helped fellow Memphians such as Pooh Shiesty, Big30, and more.

Icewear Vezzo — “One Time” Feat. Jeezy

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect here. Vezzo and Jeezy’s usual styles, despite sharing similar subject matter, didn’t seem like they’d mesh. But DJ Drama is the perfect catalyst to get the connection to work.

Su’Lan — “Hands On The Floor”

Not to be confused with Compton rapper Day Sulan, Su’Lan is a fiery rap duo from the Bay that has been seeing their star rise over the past few months. This standout from their debut album sums up their approach to the rap game: unapologetic, in-your-face, and serious about seeing success.

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

Ahhh, yes! The attack squirrel. Every home should have one, or at least, that’s what an Idaho man whose home was protected by his rescue-squirrel-turned-pet might think. Adam Pearl found Joey, his pet squirrel, in his yard, abandoned as a baby and unable to fend for himself. Pearl took him in and bottle-fed him until he was big enough to eat on his own.

The unique pairing continued for 10 months until a man looking to burglarize Pearl’s home got the surprise of a lifetime. He was attacked by the squirrel! The fluffy-tailed critter thwarted the man’s plan to rummage through Pearl’s belongings.

One can only imagine the confusion and terror of being attacked by something that would’ve gently eaten out of Snow White’s hands. The burglar was apparently after the homeowner’s guns and likely wasn’t expecting a squirrel to go, well, nuts on him. It gets even better though.

Joey got so squirrelly with the intruder that the scratches he left behind is what helped identify the guy to the police. Pearl told Idaho News 6 that while the police officer was questioning a suspect “she noticed he had scratches on his hands, so she asked him ‘sir, did you get that from a squirrel?'” According to Pearl, the suspect replied, “Yeah, the damn thing kept attacking me and wouldn’t stop until I left.”

Now, I didn’t know what the preferred special treat is for a squirrel, but according to Pearl it’s the candy Whoppers and Joey got a few extra after his bravery.

Since this story originally aired in 2017, Joey has been released into the wild and Pearl assumes he found a girlfriend and settled down. I like the image of a retired attack squirrel telling his grandchildren about the time he took down a human while they roll their eyes in disbelief. Wherever you are Joey, you sure left an impression on the world.

See the squirrel in question below:

The AIDS epidemic that began in the early ’80s cast a stigma on all men who have sex with men, regardless of their HIV status. The idea that gay and bisexual men were somehow dangerous to the general public because of a health crisis in their community added to the stigmatization that already came with being LGBTQ.

In 1983, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned all men who have sex with men from donating blood. This rule stood until 2015 when the FDA lifted the lifetime ban for gay and bisexual males and limited it to men who had homosexual sex within the past year.

In 2020, the FDA eased restrictions on men who have sex with men again, due to a blood shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The abstinence period was shortened from a year to three months.

u201cTerrific news. The ban on blood donation for gay and bisexual men is atrociously outdated, rooted in bigotry and stereotypes rather than science. Lifting it will increase the nation’s blood supply without putting anyone at risk. https://t.co/Nno83Cmk7qu201d

— Mark Joseph Stern (@Mark Joseph Stern)
1669833609

Now, the FDA looks to ease restrictions even further by eliminating bans based on sexuality and instead, focusing on individual risk through questionnaires. On November 30, the FDA released a statement saying it “will likely support a policy transition to individual risk-based donor screening questions for reducing the risk of HIV transmission.”

“The FDA remains committed to gathering the scientific data related to alternative donor deferral policies that maintain a high level of blood safety,” the statement continued. “We anticipate issuing updated draft guidance in the coming months.”

The FDA’s announcement came a day ahead of World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is “Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV.”

u201cThe FDA is considering easing its restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. KHN’s @celinegounder joins @CBSNews to discuss the likely change and why it’s being considered now.nnWatch the full interview: https://t.co/BlxuMnZIo1u201d

— Kaiser Health News (@Kaiser Health News)
1669932049

The statement was well-received by GLAAD, although the organization believes that the FDA has been behind the times on the issue for years.

“While today’s reports of an overdue move from the FDA is an important step, our community and leading medical experts will not stop advocating for the FDA to lift all restrictions against qualified LGBTQ blood donor candidates,” it said in a statement. “As LGBTQ leaders and medical experts have been saying for years: bans and restrictions on blood donations from gay and bisexual men are rooted in stigma, not science. Giving one set of rules to some people, and another set of rules to others, based purely on identity, is blatant discrimination.”

An FDA official told The Wall Street Journal that under the new guidelines, potential donors would be asked if they had anal intercourse with a new sexual partner within the past three months. Those who answer no will be allowed to donate.

Earlier this year, France and Greece lifted their bans on men who have sex with men completely. Greece announced the ban in January and it was applauded by LGBTQ rights groups.

“Lifting this long-lasting ban on blood donation was the least this government had to do,” Irene Petropoulou, chairperson of OLKE, a nongovernmental organization that fights for LGBT+ rights, said, according to Greek Reporter “Of course, it is great news, and we hope the government will pay more attention to other discriminations in the healthcare system and education.”

France made its announcement in January as well.

“Starting on March 16, 2022, all French people, whatever their sexual orientation, will be able to donate blood,” Health Minister Olivier Véra said. “We are ending an inequality that is no longer justified,” he added.