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Apologies for using a Sandler still to absurdly illustrate this story, but if it fits the trainwreck…

Reddit happens to be a place where one can get lost for hours digging through people’s House of the Dragons ruminations or sharing hunches about true-crime shows. Heck, even Anthony Bourdain apparently had a secret account, which he allegedly used for both good and mischief.

The subject of dating advice on Reddit, however, often turns into a tire fire. One must observe how nearly every articulated romantic problem is greeted with immediate advice for people to dump the relationship, and frequently, this advice is probably spot-on. Do people leap too fast to trash other people’s relationships? Sure, but there’s also the inevitability that anyone seeking Internet advice on heartbreaking issues likely already knows what they need to do. They just need that final push to do so. For one female Redditor, a long and winding path led to the discovery of a scheme that actually doesn’t sound believable, at least as far as her boyfriend’s explanation goes.

The thread in question detailed a young woman’s dismay at discovering that her boyfriend’s TikTok account had been making disparaging comments about women. This was enough to make her consider ending a 2-year relationship:

my friend sent it to me and said “i cannot believe how out of touch these men are” and after watching the tiktok i decided to read the comments. the first one i see is my bf tagging two mutual friends of ours and saying “women ”. one of our friends responded to the comment and said “females are so dramatic” and my bf responded agreeing to him.

i feel sick. i thought we had the same views on things like this? he was raised my a single teen mom who worked 3 jobs to keep a roof over his head, food in his mouth, and allow him to play soccer despite their tight budget and expensive little league fees.

when we first started dating i asked him who his role model was and he said his mom. he went on and on about how strong and brave she is and how much he appreciates her for all she does for him. his mom was single and living alone at 17 because my bfs father cheated on her after she gave birth and was recovering because he “can’t be expected to just NOT have sex for eight weeks.”

Well, this user later made an update thread that got deleted, but apparently, her boyfriend and his friends had gone all in on some plan to lure another man into making comments like these. The boyfriend claimed to have given his password out, and they were commenting with his username? It does not make sense, and it could be complete BS, but the boyfriend’s mom tried to explain that her son was very sweet. And he was apparently looking at heck-of-a-deal luxury apartments to surprise the OP with.

In the end, OP was still so upset that she decided that she wanted a break anyway, although she has not formally ended the relationship. Again, I don’t quite understand the boyfriend’s logic, but hey, people are weird!

You can read the bizarre Reddit saga here and then try to avoid that kind of drama if possible. Whew.

There is a very small handful of celebrities that are universally loved and cared for on social media. Actual Angel Keanu Reeves is one good example, while Daniel Craig also gets his fair share of praise. And who doesn’t love a good Bob Odenkirk tweet every once in a while?

Of course, there is one actor so iconic, so meme-worthy that every time there is a moment to celebrate him, we have to do it. And that actor is Danny DeVito. Who would have thought that the really mean dad from Matilda who gave you nightmares would actually turn out to be a nice dude?

Everyone has been taking the time to share their best Devito memories. We all have one! For example, my alma mater famously created an eclectic Danny Devito shrine in one of the public bathrooms, to which Devito gave his seal of approval. Then he got mad at the mess and told everyone to clean it up. An eco-conscious icon! To celebrate his 78th birthday, here are some more gems:

Devito is just a lone person with a dream: to make people laugh and eat eggs. It’s a life so many wish to lead, but none are truly capable of. Besides him.

Today (November 17) marks one year since Young Dolph was senselessly murdered at Makeda’s Cookies in his hometown Memphis. The investigation into the shooting that killed the 36-year-old rapper lasted weeks before an arrest warrant was issued in January for Justin Johnson, who said he would turn himself in and planned to prove his innocence. A second suspect, Cornelius Smith, was taken into custody for a separate crime that month and indicted in Dolph’s murder. Shundale Barnett was also arrested and identified as a suspect, though he went missing after being released from prison.

Johnson and Smith pled not guilty in February and appeared again in court in May. Today, a third man, 43-year-old Hernandez Govan, briefly appeared in Shelby County Criminal Court in Memphis to plead not guilty to conspiracy and first-degree murder after prosecutors alleged he “solicited the killing” of Young Dolph (real name: Adolph Robert Thornton, Jr.). Govan was arrested last week.

Per ABC News, his next court date is scheduled for December 16. Johnson and Smith are being held in jail without bond and won’t appear in court again until January 20, 2023. But Johnson and Smith received another charge. According to The Memphis Commercial Appeal, they have been charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder to go along with their previous charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, weapons charges, and theft charges.

Mia Jaye, Dolph’s longtime partner and mother to his two children, recently honored him as the one-year anniversary of his tragic death neared.

“It is hard. It is unfair. It is permanent nagging heartache,” she wrote on Instagram last week. “It is a f*cked up position to be in… and if I could have it my way, I would not be here dealing with the ins and out of loss at this magnitude. It is f*cked up that someone felt they had to right to take a man’s life when they have no ability to create life.”

See the full video below.

Andor compellingly answers a question that no other Star Wars entry has explored: how did the Rebel Alliance get money, and how did it start? When we first meet the rebels, the heroes of the Star Wars universe, in Star Wars: A New Hope, the movement is steady on its feet with fleets, bases, and a princess high in the ranks. This rebellion, it seems, started with Luthen Rael, played by Stellan Skarsgård.

By day, Luthen is a bombastic antiques dealer based with coiffed hair and luxe jewel-toned garments. By night (or other days), he’s the menacing but convincing leader of a start-up rebellion meant to slowly but surely take down the fascist Galactic Empire, with short blonde hair and dark cloaks with silhouettes similar to Darth Vader’s. Through Luthen, (and his small, scrappy network) the lines between good and evil are blurred. The rebels are the good guys, of course, but in order to get to a future where taking down the Empire is possible, moral compromises are necessary.

In the season’s tenth episode, Luthen meets with a double agent, Lonni, who works for the Empire. He wants out, but Luthen will not let that happen. “I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude,” he says. Skarsgård delivers his dialogue rhythmically and makes it sound and feel as elegant as Shakespeare (Tony Gilroy might be the modern equivalent of Shakespeare), with a terrifying undercurrent: this man will do anything to get what he wants. Lonni leaves the meeting stuck as a double agent.

In the penultimate episode, Luthen calmly and coolly escapes an Imperial inspection. Trapped in a, I don’t know, thing that traps ships, Luthen casually uses the many features on his seemingly below-average ship to escape. The scene is cleverly choreographed, more so than most scenes involving spaceships in space, but it’s Skarsgård’s performance that sells it. Luthen is always calm and stoic, but as his little rebellion gets louder and consequently gets more attention from the Empire, he’s panicking. Luthen’s unraveling is subtle, but Skarsgård shows it: he carries his body heavy as if he has more weight on his shoulders and his eyes show glimmers of hope and impending doom at the same time.

Thanks to Stellan Skarsgård’s committed performance as a man who has sacrificed everything to improve life for others and will sacrifice anyone (or anything) along the way, Luthen is already more iconic than any new Star Wars character since the Disney acquisition, all respect to Kylo Ren and BB-8. Skarsgård could have easily phoned in this performance, but instead, he’s giving the performance of his life. In return, he deserves an Emmy.

There is so much television these days that it is hard to keep track of it all. Rest assured, Bel Air, Peacock’s dramatic retelling of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air based on a viral short fan film, is a show, and its second season is coming early next year. The series, like Morgan Cooper’s short film, tells the story of a fictionalized Will Smith’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the wealthy community of Bel-Air in a new, dramatic way.

Here’s a description of the upcoming season, from Peacock:

“Season two of Bel-Air picks up with Will at a crossroads in his life as a new figure comes into his life who challenges what he’s learned in Bel-Air and competes for control of his influence. He juggles this while navigating his home life with the Banks family and trying to rebuild the trust that was broken at the end of last season. We’ll see Will and Carlton’s brotherhood start to evolve as they grow closer, but still challenge each other about their differences. We’ll also see Hilary evolve as she becomes more of a boss in her influencer world and how that spills over into her relationship with Jazz, and also highlight the relatable struggles around Viv and Phil balancing marriage and family while trying to forge their own career paths and reconnect to the things that are important to them.”

Season two of Bel-Air premieres on Peacock on February 23.

Paramore are back and better than ever. They’re revamping old album covers due to some unresolved drama; they’re breaking up fights at their own shows; they’re preparing to tour with the one and only Taylor Swift. They are not holding back.

The shows have been fun as the band gets more and more unhinged. Last night, November 16, they played the St. Augustine Amphitheatre in Florida, and decided to not-so-subtly acknowledge the state’s politics. To protest the Don’t Say Gay law, which prevents education about sexuality and gender in classrooms, Paramore started a chant of the word “gay,” while Hayley Williams said it as many times as she possibly can, while also singing it with killer vocals. The audience was more than willing to participate.

While many clueless “fans” ask Paramore to stick to music and stay out of politics, the band is known for speaking up about what they believe in as well as taking action. In July, they announced that this tour they’re currently on will donate $1 of every ticket sold to ARC Southeast, providing “funding and logistical support to ensure Southerners receive safe and compassionate reproductive care,” per the organization’s official website.

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

The White Lotus season two is just as funny and iconic as the first season. The season, which follows an ensemble cast at a resort in Sicily, Italy, is just like the first season in that it is a sharp analysis of social dynamics and class, But unlike the Hawaii-set first season, a major theme throughout The White Lotus season two so far is sexuality and desire, which manifests in all of the storylines on the show, particularly one involving Albie (Adam DiMarco) and Portia (Haley Lu Richardson).

Creator Mike White has a way of getting the audience engrossed in the lives and relationships of characters quickly. Three episodes into the second season and people are already obsessed with all the characters on their luxurious Italy getaway. Albie and Portia, young adults who are staying at The White Lotus — Sicily, are developing a bond that has, quite frustratingly, not become romantic just yet. Albie is on the trip with his dad, played by Michael Imperioli, and his grandfather, played by F. Murray Abraham. Portia, who is the assistant to Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya, finds herself in a weird situation when she’s told she has to stay in her room for a week. She has to eat, so she has to leave the room. Albie and Portia become vacation friends, and Portia starts joining his family on adventures in Sicily. A few episodes in and Albie and Portia are still in an incredibly awkward stage. Albie says he is interested in her, kisses her, and Portia says she’s interested in him, but that he needs to be more assertive. Despite that, she conveniently bows out every time they’re about to get intimate. Fans of The White Lotus fans are discussing their dynamic at length: some think that this is all Albie’s fault, while some think it’s Portia’s. It turns out, a lot of people have a lot of very strong feelings about Albie and Portia.

In a Reddit thread titled, “Does anybody else feel bad for Albie and hate Portia?” fans unleashed their truth about the storyline. Apparently, some fans think Ablie is an incel, which, in case you don’t know by now, is a man who considers themself unable to attract women sexually, and as a result has misogynist, sexist opinions about women who are sexually active (like Harry Styles in Don’t Worry Darling). Alternatively, some think Portia is leading Albie on because she’s too afraid to just say she’s not into him in that way. One user wrote, “lol anyone calling Albie an incel has no idea what the word incel even means. He’s got a liberal college education that resulted in feminist values. If you’ve ever talked to an incel you know they can’t even pretend to care about women.”

Another said, “I feel for Albie because he badly wants to connect with Portia who is just not in a good place.”

A pro-Portia user said, “I think Portia’s just struggling with anxiety etc and not a bad person at all. But I agree she should just tell Albie she’s not interested.” There are many more (good and bad) takes in the thread, which you can read at your leisure.

In conclusion, only one thing is clear: Mike White is a genius who created characters that inspire thoughtful discussions about complex people and complicated relationships. Neither Albie nor Portia are wrong, but neither of them are right. They are both human beings longing for connection for different reasons. Albie’s family is falling apart, and Portia feels like her life is at a standstill. This is simply the beauty of great television writing.

Clearly, music runs in the Alvarez family. Angela Alvarez, now 95, began writing songs at the age of 14 while growing up in 1930s Cuba. She might have not continued with professional ambitions, but the passion was kept well alive.

Her grandson, Carlos José Alvarez, then went on to become a composer in Los Angeles, combining his inherited talent with a love for cinema. Carlos José knew the huge impact his grandmother’s (aka Nana’s) music made on his life, and as Alavarez grew older, he wanted to encapsulate her legacy by creating an album of her songs.

Little did he or his gifted Nana know just how far the loving gesture would go.

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Carlos José told the The Washington Post that inspiration led him to bring a microphone over to his Nana’s house—now in Baton Rouge, Louisiana—to capture her “angelic and soulful” voice. Though he was no stranger to her singing, in the process of recording, Carlos José learned more about his Nana’s life than he had ever known before.

Alvarez had written more than 50 songs during her lifetime. With every piece, she coped with major milestones and obstacles in her life, like the grief of losing both her husband and daughter to cancer, and helping her young children flee alone into the U.S. as Fidel Castro took over their home country.

“I didn’t realize that these songs were like a diary of her life. It all made sense,” Carlos José told The Washington Post. “You can hear the life she has lived in her singing.”

This was as far as her love for music could ever go, as she was forbidden by her father to become a professional musician. Loving him dearly, she complied to sing only for her “family, and not the world.”

That would soon change, as Carlos José decided to not only record his Nana’s songs, but produce and release a full 15-track album, simply titled “Angela Alvarez.” The passion project became a labor of love for many of Carlos José’s creative friends, including not only fellow musicians, but Cuban American actor Andy Garcia, who was so moved by Carlos José’s act of kindness that he helped create “Miss Angela,” a documentary chronicling Alvarez’s life and the songs inspired by it.

Alvarez’s long-lost dream had finally come to fruition. She even celebrated her 91st birthday by captivating audiences during her first live public concert at the historic Avalon in L.A, where Garcia gave her a glowing introduction. “She represents a generation, perhaps our greatest generation of Cubans,” he told viewers.

Then things got even better. Now Alvarez is nominated for a Latin Grammy award for Best New Artist. The lesson: It’s never too late for a dream to flourish. Magic can happen by continuing to do the things that make you come alive.

Perhaps the even greater lesson comes from Carlos José. As he shared with Billboard, “I hope this entire project inspires young people to sit down and talk to their elders. Ask them questions. Ask them about the dreams they had once upon a time. They will be surprised at what they will find. If we don’t ask them, they won’t tell us, and their wisdom and dreams will leave with them.”

Kudos to the grandma finally getting her long-awaited moment in the sun, and to the grandson whose love helped make it happen.

Some people say that while change is inevitable, progress is a choice. In other words, it’s a purposeful act—like when American media mogul and philanthropist Ted Turner established the United Nations Foundation 25 years ago.

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Turner recognized that the United Nations is indispensable to tackling humanity’s greatest challenges and driving global progress, and he also knew that solving complex, worldwide problems require a blend of diverse solutions and partners. He’s a pretty smart guy.

As a strategic partner of the United Nations, the UN Foundation seeks to solve the world’s biggest challenges by bringing together different perspectives, fresh thinking, and innovative ideas. Think of it as a massive table, where the best and the brightest from all over the world are invited to bring new and creative ideas to solve complex problems affecting humanity. That’s the UN Foundation, and it’s awesome.

Honorees, speakers and guests on stage at We the PeoplesPhoto: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

Every year, the organization recognizes extraordinary individuals and institutions whose work stands out as an embodiment of their guiding principles: to create a safer, healthier, and fairer world for all. This year’s annual Global Leadership Awards were presented at We the Peoples in New York City’s Gotham Hall, where five recipients were honored for their tireless work to push progress forward.

Here are the change-makers who accepted the awards, which celebrate the very best of humanity.

Mia Amor Mottley, 2022 Champion for Global Change award. Not only is she the first female to hold the position of Prime Minister of Barbados, she exhibits top-notch leadership in her fight for global change. She is known for fearlessly urging the leaders of larger, richer, and more powerful countries to recognize their contributions to climate change and their responsibility to help combat its disastrous effects—especially in smaller island nations. (She also encourages leaders to have “mature conversations” with their constituents, something we can all agree is woefully lacking across the board!)

Hon. Mia Mottley, SC, MP, Prime Minister of BarbadosPhoto: Stuart Ramson for United Nations Foundation

Prime Minister Mottley takes stewardship of the environment very seriously. The island of Barbados is on the frontline of climate change impacts, which manifest in everything from more devastating hurricanes, to coastal erosion, and are getting worse from year to year. Not only that, she’s tackling social justice reform, lack of education access, and political corruption, one step at a time. “There are so many who are voiceless and so many who are incapable of action, but if those of us who have the capacity can make that difference in their lives, then the world would be a better place,” said Prime Minister Mottley. Seriously.

Forest Whitaker, SDG Vanguard Award: While Whitaker is best known for his acting roles, he is also Founder & CEO of Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, a project aiming to promote the values of peace within communities all over the world that are impacted by conflict and violence. His work has touched the lives of approximately 1.3 million children—including former child soldiers—helping them cope with trauma and learn to thrive in their communities. The goal is to move people from chaos to hope and engagement by educating, training, and restoring peace.

Hans Vestberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Verizon and UN Foundation Board member, presents the SDG Vanguard Award to Khadija Mayman, Youth PeacemakerPhoto: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

Whitaker staunchly values the potential of youth, insisting they deserve a seat at the table. He believes that in order to attain peace and prosperity, communities and nations must heed the voices of their young people; keeping them engaged is what preserves our future. “We must realize that whatever challenge we are faced with, young people can and should be part of the solution – both for today and tomorrow,” he said.

Whitaker walks the walk— and it showed when the spotlight was put on Khadija Mayman, Youth Peacemaker for the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, who accepted the award on his behalf. What better way to change the world, than to start by healing our children and letting them lead?

Mia Kami, SDG Vanguard Award: Kami is a Tongan singer/songwriter. She is passionate about gender equality, indigenous rights, and climate action, reminding us that storytelling has the power to fuel political and environmental change. She channels her passions into songwriting and uses her music to inspire hope and healing.

In 2022, a devastating volcanic eruption created a massive humanitarian crisis in her home country of Tonga. The volcano generated a plume of ash that rose more than 12 miles above sea level; the next day, there was a larger, more violent eruption that created an ash plume 375 miles in diameter. This second explosive eruption produced a tsunami that affected the entire Pacific Ocean, and atmospheric pressure waves that circled Earth several times. After the eruption, satellite images show that 90% of the island is no longer visible. Kami drew attention to the crisis through song. In one of her most popular works, Rooted, she sings:

There is hope

There is strength

There is power

There is change

In you and I

Singer-songwriter Mia Kami performs at We The Peoples 2022Photo: Stuart Ramson for United Nations Foundation

Kami’s ability to bridge art and action to protect the world’s oceans draws attention to issues that might otherwise go unnoticed, marking her as an extraordinary, creative change-maker.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), presented with the 2022 UN Heroes Award: Dr. Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA, accepted the Award on behalf of the organization.

Dr. Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA, accepts the 2022 UN Heroes Award, presented by Mark Malloch-Brown, President of Open Society Foundations and UN Foundation Board member at We the PeoplesPhoto: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

Founded in 1969 by concerned American citizens, this institution is the lead United Nations sexual and reproductive health and rights agency. They are there for mothers, pregnant women, and girls around the world, no matter what, and their work encompasses everything from educating women on family planning to working to end child marriage and gender-based violence—especially in times of war.

UNFPA delivers lifesaving care in places in crises so that girls and women can manage their periods, have healthy pregnancies, and deliver their babies safely. They recognize that when individuals are deprived of the right to make crucial choices about their own bodies and futures, it has a cascading impact on their families’ welfare and future generations.

Unsurprisingly, courage is one of their four core values; they pride themselves on saying and doing what’s right, not what’s easy, all the time. That is a purposeful act of progress for certain.

Peace on Purpose/lululemon. This year, the inaugural Goal 17 Innovation in Partnership Award was presented to recognize creative, cross-sector partnerships that are driving progress forward. Most of us associate the brand name lululemon with leggings, but it turns out that they do much more than sell athletic wear. Peace on Purpose is a collaborative effort between lululemon and the UN Foundation to provide tools, such as mindfulness training, for humanitarian workers to care for their mental and physical well-being so they can effectively care for others. Support people need support people, after all!

From left to right: Baroness Valerie Amos, Master, University College Oxford and Vice Chair, UN Foundation Board of Directors; Esther Speck, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Business & Impact at lululemon; Nikki Neuburger, Chief Brand Officer, lululemon.Photo: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

The award was accepted by two of lululemon’s leaders: Esther Speck, Senior Vice President of Sustainable Business & Impact, and Nikki Neuburger, Chief Brand Officer. Speck is widely respected among her colleagues as one of the most result-oriented professionals in sustainability. She managed to bridge lululemon and the UN Foundation seamlessly by recognizing that lululemon focuses on offering their customers a path to wellbeing, which entails supporting humanitarian and sustainable causes.

Esther Speck, Senior Vice President Sustainable Business & Impact at lululemon and Nikki Neuburger, Chief Brand Officer, lululemon.Photo: Jason DeCrow for United Nations Foundation

Neuburger is responsible for lululemon’s ability to share compelling stories from their team of 2,000 global ambassadors. “We really lean into highlighting those ambassadors,” said Neuburger in an interview with Ad Age, “lifting them up not only in terms of what they are doing with us, but also what they’ve got going on in their own communities.”

The results are undeniable: over 8,000 UN workers from 137 countries have been reached through in-person and digital mental health and well-being programs! Research shows that the Peace on Purpose initiative has so far led to a 40% reduction of important psychological risk factors such as anxiety and depression, and an increase in overall well-being and resilience.

It’s a dynamic table of visionaries, that’s for sure—and the world is better because of them. As Elizabeth Cousens, President and CEO of the UN Foundation stated at the ceremony, “A few years ago, Ted [Turner] said: ‘The world is facing some tough obstacles, but I’ve never found much use in giving up. It’s much more effective to get to work.’ Well, at the UN Foundation, we believe in getting to work. We believe that allies and partners make us stronger. We believe that progress is worth fighting for, and we know you do too.”

If pushing progress forward is a choice, then these change-makers make the right one, every single day. Learn more about these change-makers and the work they are doing here.

Fresh Pair’s first season wrapped up this week with one of hip-hop’s biggest hitmakers, Will.I.Am, who stopped by share tidbits of his long and storied career with Just Blaze and Katty Customs. A producer and rapper who has been a fixture of the rap business since the early ’90s, he’s seen it all — from a rough and rugged start in LA’s indie underground scene to the majestic heights of international superstardom.

And while his hits can be, well, a bit divisive among hardcore hip-hop heads, there’s simply no denying that the man knows how to create an absolute smash. The truly crazy part, though, is that he might even be underrated once you consider how much work he’s done outside of the stuff with Black Eyed Peas and the super popular European hits. There are plenty of gems to be mined from Will’s discography — if you know where to look.

These are the best Will. I.Am songs, ranked.

10. “This Is Love” feat. Eva Simons

So much of Will’s latter-day output receives a lot of criticism from rap purists who can’t reconcile his electronic and dance leanings with his early status as a backpack rap pioneer. But here’s the thing — his embrace of styles like electro, house, and techno is just as foundational to rap as breakbeats and jazz samples. He’s going for wide appeal now, but that shouldn’t mean overlooking gems like the single “This Is Love” from his 2013 solo album #willpower.

9. “Feelin’ Myself” feat. French Montana, Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa

One of the more “rappy” singles from #willpower, “Feelin’ Myself” lines up some of rap’s most pop-leaning presences (along with Miley Cyrus at the height of her Bangerz flirtation with hip-hop) for a hypnotic club anthem that blends the electro stuff he’d been working on at the time with the “ratchet” chant that was flourishing elsewhere in rap. It works.

8. Black Eyed Peas — “Back 2 HipHop” feat. Nas

On 2018’s Masters Of The Sun, Vol. 1, Black Eyed Peas returned to the creative wellspring that birthed them. What better way to celebrate going “back to hip-hop” than recruiting one of the genre’s most revered stalwarts to remind fans of what they’re capable of? The best part is that they make no apologies for their divergence into pop — instead they boast their ability to make such a departure so successfully without losing touch with what made them cool in the first place.

7. A.T.B.A.N Klann – “No Sequel”

Long before he was the frontman of Black Eyed Peas, Will (along with bandmate Apl.De.Ap) was a member of a different hip-hop unit, the Pharcyde/Freestyle Fellowship-esque A.T.B.A.N Klann. Still teenagers at the time, they were signed to Ruthless Records by Eazy-E, who dug their alt-rap style for his ostensibly gangsta rap-oriented imprint. They never released their album, Grass Roots, but it has since leaked, giving a glimpse into what could have been. It was later given an official vinyl release 25 years later in 2020.

6. Black Eyed Peas — “Constant” feat. Slick Rick

Another Masters Of The Sun cut featuring a rap legend, the beat on “Constant” harkens back to Will.I.Am’s earliest production work and the jazzy sounds from his 2001 solo debut Lost Change, while updating it with the orchestral sensibilities of Elephunk and embracing their dance music leanings. Honestly, the whole album was criminally slept on.

5. “Ev Rebahdee” feat. Planet Asia

This is where I smack the haters in the head for doubting that Will.I.Am is actually ill on the mic. The intro to Lost Change found Will holding his own alongside one of the most respected underground spitters of the early 2000s backpack rap scene.

4. Black Eyed Peas — “Request + Line” feat. Macy Gray

In 2000, Black Eyed Peas released Bridging The Gap, their second album and the one that put them on many rap fans’ radars. This hidden track from the album was their first entry on the Hot 100 chart, as well as giving them their first top forty hit in multiple territories outside the US. If not for this minor hit, they might have stayed another turn-of-the-millennium underground rap footnote. Instead, it became the first step toward their world domination.

3. Black Eyed Peas — “Joints & Jam”

The third single released from BEP’s debut LP Behind The Front, which culled the A.T.B.A.N. Klann’s Grass Roots sessions with the addition of Taboo, “Joints & Jams” is fondly remembered in LA’s B-boy community as one of the few local singles that seemed expressly made for them. An upbeat, unrelentingly positive bop, it laid the groundwork for what would become their signature sound, with roots in dance and old-school hip-hop, with a family-friendly eye toward good vibes for everybody. They’ve never really lost that perspective since.

2. Black Eyed Peas — “Weekend” feat. Esthero

My personal favorite song from Bridging The Gap, it was the first time I heard modern hip-hop (at the time of its release) with disco and funk influences, made specifically for dance floors at the sort of low-key cafes and poetry jams I frequented (yes, I was a NERD). But it had a relatable message, it was different than anything that was out at the time, and it really had an undeniable groove that got me out of my mean-mugging, super serious rap head stance. Hip-hop could be fun again. You can’t put a price on that.

1. Black Eyed Peas — “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)” feat. J Balvin

Blame it on recency bias or being sucked into the reggaeton vortex, but 1 billion views on YouTube isn’t a fluke. It’s something totally different from what BEP’s done before (and was likely the impetus behind the group’s full-fledged leap into reggaeton on Translation in 2020) but it somehow bridged the gap between the entirety of their discography. It proved that there was style just as much road ahead of them as behind, as long as they can keep transforming and pushing the boundaries of what was to define what can be.