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Timbaland and Swizz Beatz have reached a settlement in their legal battle over the sale of Verzuz. Launched in March of 2020, Verzuz showcased artists, producers, and songwriters as they played their biggest hits side-by-side for their fans via live stream. Verzuz was sold to the video-sharing platform, Triller in January 2021, however, Timbaland and Swizz filed a lawsuit this past August, claiming Triller owed them $28 million.

As of today, the two parties have arrived at a settlement that will increase the ownership stake given to the artists that Timbaland and Swizz Beatz brought to Triller in the original deal.

“Verzuz has always been a platform that is by the artists, for the artists and with the people,” said founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland in a joint statement. “We’re glad to come to an amicable agreement with Triller and continue giving fans the music and community that they’ve come to know and love from the brand.”

Fans can look forward to seeing more Verzuz competitions in the near future from the comfort of their screens.

“Verzuz and Triller will always be a safe place and outlet for creators and their art. Nothing will change that,” said Bobby Sarnevesht, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Triller in a statement. “Creators started this and will continue building it. This is a victorious moment in the Triller and VERZUZ relationship as we march together toward the public markets. Stay tuned.”

Lil Naz X really is a gift to this world, but that obviously depends on who you ask because for some people his existence seems to chafe some uncomfortable places. Recently people decided they just couldn’t allow the singer to live his best life without him knowing that they did not approve, so they protested outside of his concert. Lil Nas X could’ve been pretty upset about the protest and let it ruin his show but he did the complete opposite. The “Old Town Road” singer decided to respond with an unexpected gesture of kindness by ordering the group pizza.

Depending on the topping, the gesture could’ve been seen as hostile. Did it have pineapples or anchovies? Those toppings are so controversial, pizzas could’ve been launched back into the venue out of sheer spite. Alas, there was no launching of pizzas or even eating of pizzas as the protesters declined the offer and sent them back with his team. Interestingly enough, the singer didn’t even know the protesters were there until his fans repeatedly tagged him on Twitter with videos of the protest. But who protests outside of a concert venue when you can enjoy the free parking lot music?

u201cjust told my team to send them pizza, this is really good promo!u201d

— SAFFA (@SAFFA)
1663546104

No, it’s not the people from “Footloose,” but that was a valid guess. It was actually a group of people who just don’t like that the singer is gay, even if his music makes you involuntarily move your booty. The protesters were holding up signs that contained biblical wording like “repent and believe.” This isn’t the first time Lil Nas X has run into vocal naysayers, and he usually responds with a cheeky clap back.

The rapper partnered with MSCHF to make Satan Shoes and gave the red man downstairs a lap dance in his music video for “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” because people supposedly told him to go to hell. If there were ever a petty contest, Lil Nas X would be crowned Petty King, so the change-up seemed a bit surprising. Instead of clapping back, he sent food, which probably confused the protesters more than anything else.

u201cupdate: they didnu2019t want the pizza but i accidentally fell in love with one of the homophobic protestorsu201d

— SAFFA (@SAFFA)
1663558803

No worries though, if you live for the pettiness level that the singer consistently delivers, he took a trip back to Pettyville when the group returned his pizzas. The unapologetic singer wrote in a tweet “update: they didn’t want the pizza but I accidentally fell in love with one of the homophobic protesters.” I’m sure that tweet is keeping this particular protester up at night thinking the star is interested in him romantically, and just to solidify it, Lil Nas X tweeted the next day lamenting about the love that got away.

I must admit, I’m fully invested in this faux romance. Will they ever cross paths again? Will they fall in love during conversations over pizza? I guess the world will never know. But what we do know is, Lil Nas X is just trying to make music he enjoys and love whoever he wants and that shouldn’t be controversial.

After working six years as a labor and delivery nurse Holly, 30, has heard a lot of inappropriate remarks made by men while their partners are in labor. “Sometimes the moms think it’s funny—and if they think it’s funny, then I’ll laugh with them,” Holly told TODAY Parents. “But if they get upset, I’ll try to be the buffer. I’ll change the subject.”

Some of the comments are so wrong that she did something creative with them by turning them into “inspirational” quotes and setting them to “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton on TikTok.

“Some partners are hard to live up to!” she jokingly captioned the video.

@hollyd_rn

Part 1: Some partners are hard to live up to! Get you a good one #laboranddelivery #labor

The first video featured the following facepalm-inducing quotes:

“I think you should just get a C-section. This is taking too long.”

“How long is this gonna take? I have plans this weekend.”

“Are you sure you want an epidural? My mom didn’t have one. Before you make a decision, we should talk about it.”

“Sew an extra stitch down there for me, doc. We want everything just the way it was before all of this.”

It’s unbelievable that anyone would make such selfish comments while their partner is in the throes of giving birth. Anyone who would ask, “How long is this gonna take?” definitely isn’t prepared to raise a child.

Some TikTok users thought that these women should have left their partners right there in the delivery room.

“LOL immediate divorce, I’m not joking,” Rig wrote. Little_n_often agreed saying, “I’d be getting the divorce papers ready.”

“I would sign the divorce papers while in labor and pushing,” another commenter wrote.

The video was a massive hit on TikTok, receiving over 10 million views. So, the nurse followed it up with a sequel where she shared more “inspirational” delivery room quotes from men.

@hollyd_rn

Part 2: some partners are hard to live up to! Get you a good one! #laboranddelivery #babydaddy #labor

Wake me up when the baby gets here I’m tired.” (Rolls over, puts cover over head and slept thru the birth of his baby.)

“Can you move to the birthing ball so I can sleep in the bed?”

(As the patient is pushing) “Do you guys do DNA tests here? My mom wants me to get one before we leave.”

“Call me when you’re about to have the baby. I’m gonna go with [name redacted] to the bar and watch the game.”

Holly also told TODAY Parents that men should also keep their thoughts on pain medication to themselves and to stop looking at the contraction monitor and making comments.

“She can feel it!” Holly said. “You don’t need to ask her if she felt it. Trust me, she did.”

​Holly’s public airing of men’s bad behavior had to be therapeutic, because, as a nurse, she can’t tell them off in the delivery room. But it’s also a warning to men out there on how not to behave when their partners are giving birth. If there was ever a time in the world to stop thinking about yourself, it’s while your partner is giving birth.

Remember guys, think before you say anything in the delivery room, the nurses are listening.

Some icons have truly left this world too early. It’s a tragedy when anyone doesn’t make it to see old age, but when it happens to a well-known public figure, it’s like a bit of their art and legacy dies with them. What might Freddie Mercury have created if he were granted the gift of long life? Bruce Lee? Princess Diana?

Their futures might be mere musings of our imagination, but thanks to a lot of creativity (and a little tech) we can now get a glimpse into what these celebrities might have looked like when they were older.

Alper Yesiltas, an Istanbul-based lawyer and photographer, created a photography series titled “As If Nothing Happened,” which features eerily realistic portraits of long gone celebrities in their golden years. To make the images as real looking as possible, Yesiltas incorporated various photo editing programs such as Adobe Lightroom and VSCO, as well as the AI photo-enhancing software Remini.

“The hardest part of the creative process for me is making the image feel ‘real’ to me,” Yesiltas wrote about his passion project. “The moment I like the most is when I think the image in front of me looks as if it was taken by a photographer.”

Yesiltas’ meticulousness paid off, because the results are uncanny.

Along with each photo, Yesiltas writes a bittersweet message “wishing” how things might have gone differently … as if nothing happened.

Freddie Mercury

See on Instagram

“I wish he hadn’t got that disease.”

There are plenty of amazing Freddie Mercury tributes and impersonators out there, but there will only ever be ONE Freddie Mercury.

Heath Ledger

See on Instagram

“I wish he hadn’t been affected by the exhaustion of his role.”

One of Ledger’s most notable roles is queer cowboy Ennis Del Mar in Ang Lee’s iconic 2005 romantic western drama “Brokeback Mountain.” In a time when queer storytelling was still taboo, Ledger’s honest and compassionate portrayal broke down a lot of barriers for future stories.

Though Ledger officially died due to an overdose, many believe it was his role of The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” that pushed him over the edge.

Janis Joplin

“I wish she hadn’t sought the inspiration she needed elsewhere.”

The powerful singer with electric stage presence is still one of the greatest female rock stars of all time. Scratch that—one of the greatest rock stars of all time, period.

Jimi Hendrix

“I wish he hadn’t sought the inspiration he needed elsewhere.”

Like Joplin and Ledger, Hendrix died due to an overdose—though many have speculated that it was instead the result of foul play.

Michael Jackson

See on Instagram

“I wish he hadn’t faced vitiligo.”

However questionable his personal life was, the King of Pop made some of the biggest contributions to music of all time. People continue to sing his songs, and likely will for a very, very long time.

Kurt Cobain

“I wish he had decided to stay.”

The insightful, poetic and troubled Cobain took his life at 27. His story is a cautionary tale that success does not necessarily help thwart struggles with mental health.

Bruce Lee

“I wish he hadn’t taken that painkiller that day.”

The actor and martial-arts expert died at 32, officially due to a harmful reaction to a painkiller. His philosophies around kung fu, however, are eternal.

John Lennon

See on Instagram

“I wish he hadn’t been in New York that day.”

Legendary artist and activist John Lennon was fatally wounded by a gunshot in December 1980. The last thing he talked about, revealed ex-wife Yoko Ono in an interview, was the desire to see his son before he went to sleep.

Elvis Presley

“I wish he decided to live a life where he paid more attention to the health of his heart.”

Had Presley not died of cardiac arrest, he would be 87 this year.

Tupac Shakur

See on Instagram

“I wish he hadn’t been involved in that event that would cause him to face the mafia.”

The cause of Tupac’s untimely death is also one of debate and speculation. According to some, he never died at all. What we can all agree on—he was one of hip-hop’s most iconic figures.

Princess Diana

See on Instagram

This one seems to be a new addition to the collection, so no wistful message. Although I’m sure the general sentiment is “I wish she were still here.”

AI-generated art is a controversial topic, to be sure. Some consider it a new, innovative medium. Others see it as devoid of any real creativity at all, as it’s produced by a machine, rather than a human. Many are concerned that, as is the case with many jobs that get machine automated, it will threaten the livelihood of actual illustrators.

Those concerns are certainly valid, but perhaps there’s a balance to be found here, as Yesiltas seems to have accomplished. Previously, another artist similarly created stunningly lifelike portraits of cartoon characters from “Encanto” and ”The Simpsons.” These works still required the human touch, and were carefully crafted over time rather than cracked out in mere seconds, as is the case with a lot of AI art.

At its best, AI art helps remind us, as Yesiltas puts it, that “anything imaginable can be shown in reality.” Which, at the end of the day, could be said for any art.

Moneybagg Yo is probably preparing for a night of celebration and luxury as he rings in his 31st year on Earth today (September 22), but the rapper decided to share some triumphant music with the world as well in the form of his new single “Blow.”

The track opens with the Memphis rapper outlining his plans for the day, spitting “Let’s blow a bag, it’s my birthday / Uhh, uhh, go / Blow a lot of money on dope, blow a lot of money on clothes / Blow a lot of money on guns, Spend a little money on hoes.” The rapper normally caters to the many women in his life but opts to be selfish for this one day out of the year.

The energetic track was produced by DrumGod, Rizzo, and ShortyyK, following a slew of releases and features for the A Gangsta’s Pain artist. Recently he joined Freddie Gibbs on “Too Much,” and before that rapped alongside Offset on “Code.” He and Offset also joined Trippie Redd for “Big 14” just a few weeks after Moneybagg linked up with his label CMG for their compilation album Gangsta Art, where he appears on several tracks.

Check out Moneybagg Yo’s new birthday anthem “Blow” above.

George Pickens expressed some frustration this week about the number of opportunities he’s gotten in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense up to this point in his NFL career. Pickens, a second-round selection out of Georgia in the 2022 NFL Draft, has caught one ball in each of the team’s first two games, and expressed that he thought he was open “90 percent of the time” during the team’s Week 2 loss to the New England Patriots.

Well, as it turns out, Pickens might have been on to something, as he reeled in what very well might go down as the best catch we will see in the NFL during the 2022 season. During the first quarter of Pittsburgh’s game against the Cleveland Browns, Steelers signal caller Mitch Trubisky rolled out from second-and-3 from near midfield and decided to launch one to Pickens.

While he was pretty well covered, Pickens caught the ball with one hand. That somehow undersells just how insane this reception was — seriously, look at this thing.

Here it is from a few other angles, which really highlight just how impressive this reception was.

I have no idea how on earth he caught this, but rest assured: Pickens just made one heck of an argument that he should get more balls thrown his way.

After a highly anticipated Week 2 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers to kick off Amazon’s Thursday night slate, there was a bit less buzz for Thursday’s Week 3 tilt between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. With that said, the Browns and Steelers are long-time rivals and, in Cleveland, there was plenty of build-up about an AFC North battle under the lights.

In advance of kick-off, a new face raised the profile and the excitement level when Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell made an appearance alongside backcourt mate Darius Garland on the Browns sideline. In short order, Mitchell became part of the story by smashing a Pittsburgh guitar before the game started and keying the home crowd into a frenzy in the process.

Mitchell and Garland were anointed as “Dawg Pound captains” for the game in Cleveland, which is a perfect opportunity for the Cavs teammates before Media Day arrives. Mitchell, who arrived in a blockbuster trade from the Utah Jazz, already has Cleveland fans dreaming of big things alongside Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, and he is already making the rounds to immerse himself in the new city.

Overall, this isn’t a huge thing for Mitchell, but it is smart PR on all sides. Throwing in the guitar smash is a nice touch, and in Cleveland, diving in with both feet to the rest of the sports scene is perhaps the best move for a new face to lead the Cavaliers.

If all the TV shows were forced to bunk together in a giant warehouse and compete in a deadly contest where fans showed their appreciation by buying themed Halloween costumes, Squid Game would emerge the winner. For the second year in a row, the dystopian (read: not too far off) Netflix show is on track to have the most people sport its look on All Hallow’s Eve. What better way to party than with a mask that hides your entire face and hints that you’re willing to torture the poor to serve a faceless cabal of wealth-hoarding fat cats?

Other than buying the costume off Amazon.

It might seem controversial, but my iron clad theory about why Squid Game costumes are so popular is that they’re ridiculously easy and people are generally lazy. It’s one step up from a t-shirt that says “This is my costume” and it has the benefit of being culturally recognizable. Expect searches for green and red jumpsuits to skyrocket in the final days of October.

On the flip side, know that tons of other people will be dressing up like they’re in Squid Game, so if you’re looking for originality, look elsewhere. Like wearing a label that says “Property of Picasso” and a tampon around your neck that you’ve colored blue. After all, the best kind of costume is one you have to explain to everyone at the party.

(via Variety)

Weeks away from their hotly-anticipated third studio album, Blue Rev, Alvvays has shared a two-pack of new songs.

“Two new lambs for the cultural volcano! One more sweet slurp of alcopop dedicated to the girls wiping tables called ‘Belinda Says’ and the dial-up electronic dream ‘Very Online Guy,’” said Alvvays in a statement.

Accompanying the songs are two visuals, both of which are directed by the band. On “Very Online Guy” lead vocalist Molly Rankin takes aim at an internet reply guy. Both the video and the audio are digitally distorted, triggering the viewer’s PTSD of AOL memories.

“Belinda Says” pays tribute to Belinda Carlisle and its accompanying visual, a moving portrait, takes the viewers back to the days of MuchMusic in the ’80s, especially with the punchy electric guitar riffs throughout.

“We painted and shot the ‘Belinda Says’ video in our living room,” said the band. “We directed a mosaic-mode vid for ‘V.O.G’. with our video guru friend Colby. This was easily the funnest thing we’ve ever shot. Enjoy our clunky low-bit collage of aliased key clacking and step-dance scramble on your CRTs.”

Check out the videos for “Very Online Guy” and “Belinda Says” above.

Blue Rev is out 10/7 via Polyvinyl. Pre-save it here.

DJ Akademiks has built his social media platform off of trying to be friends with certain artists and dissing others. He often spews unpopular hot takes that have landed him in hot water, whether it be in person with guests back when he hosted Everyday Struggle on Complex, or through the internet. Recently, the music critic, for lack of a better word, drew the ire of many when he made disparaging comments about hip-hop’s pioneers. One person in particular who deemed it necessary to respond was actor and hip-hop legend LL Cool J.

In what appears to be one of his live streams this week, the New Jersey personality asked his viewers “Have you ever seen any of those old rappers who they be like ‘Oh, they’re the foundation of hip-hop’ really living good? Them n****s be looking really dusty, I kid you not,” and later said “Every time there be an old old n**** talking about hip-hop, you be like ‘Yo bro, are you sure you invented this? Cause everybody is living better than you.’”

As the clip made its rounds on social media, evidently LL Cool J was inspired to speak up on his peers’ behalf yesterday (September 21). In the video below, LL first acknowledged that he hadn’t gone live on Instagram since the pandemic began before responding to Akademiks’s comments.

“Let me explain something to you: don’t think just because somebody knows how to get money — or fails to get money — that they didn’t make a contribution to the culture. No one discusses Miles Davis’s bank account. We don’t talk about John Coltrane’s bank account. A lot of even rock musicians, a lot of great country artists, we don’t talk about their bank accounts.”

The “Luv U Better” artist added, “This idea that you have to have money or else you don’t have any value is a bad idea and it’s a misinformed way of looking at the world and the culture.” He continued on by saying that today’s artists, whom he loves, benefitted from the work that the rappers who came before them put in. He pointed out how managers, accountants, and teams focused on an artist’s success weren’t a thing early on.

“So just because [these pioneers] didn’t get rich, just because they weren’t able to pile up millions or billions of dollars, does not mean that they didn’t make a contribution to this culture. They created an industry that we all ate off of! They created an industry that you eat off of!” LL Cool J’s response received love from other rappers such as Busta Rhymes, Royce Da 5’9″, Lloyd Banks, and more.

Of course, DJ Akademiks could not learn his lesson and go quietly. He fired back at LL Cool J passionately today (September 22) in the clip above, saying “A lot of n****s grew up watching you and they all signed the same f*cked up deal 10, 15 years old after you did. What the f*ck did you do, my n****? It’s not that I don’t respect older artists, it’s that I know that when it comes to business, y’all didn’t do nothing.”

It seems DJ Akademiks has no interest in backing down and blames the flaws of the industry today on those who were there in its inception as it pertains to hip-hop. LL Cool J’s words may have fallen on deaf ears when it comes to Ak, but the hip-hop community is thankful for his thoughtful reply.

Check out the back and forth above.